The Little Mermaid
by KayleyK1472
Summary: The movie in novelized form
1. Chapter 1

Gulls flew smoothly on the cool sea air.  
A thick gray fog laid over the churning waters but the wind didn't warn of a storm yet. It blew the fresh cool salty air that filled a massive ships billowing sails as it moved through the sea.  
As it crashed through the waves, the song of the sailor's rose up above the noise, their voices coming together as they worked and toiled away on deck.

"I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue  
And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho  
Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you  
In mysterious fathoms below"

A young man dressed in a pair of navy pants, black boots, a red cummerbund, and a white collared V-neck with the sleeves rolled up leaned on the upper rails. His black hair ruffled slightly in the wind as he closed his ice blue eyes, taking in the refreshing smell of the ocean, his shaggy English Sheepdog by his side.  
"Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face…a perfect day to be at sea eh Grimsby?"  
The dog barked in agreement.  
Grimsby - a slender, middle aged man, propped himself up on the other rail to glare at the boy.  
"Oh yes…delightful!"  
He chuckled as he watched his caretaker and best friend lean over the rail, green again.  
"A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly type mood!" said one of the sailors pulling on the rigging.  
The boy jumped down to the main deck to help secure the rope.  
"King Triton?" His eyes brightened, intrigued by the sailor's story.  
"Why, the ruler of the merpeople lass! thought every good sailor knew about him," said another older sailor unloading the fish that were just hauled in from the nets.  
Eric leaned down to pet his shaggy dog. He rubbed his ears as Grimsby staggered down the steps having caught hold of his heaving stomach for the moment.  
"Merpeople! Eric, pay no attention to this nautical nonsense," he said straightening his tie and fixing his hair.  
"But it ain't nonsense, it's the truth! I'm tellin' you!" the older sailor said shaking one of his fish at Grimsby. "Down in the depths o' the ocean they live!"  
Grims waved his arms and Eric smiled as they edged closer to the rails. Suddenly the fish slipped out of his hands. Flopping wildly it slapped Grimsby several times in the face before it got itself completely over the edge and back down into the ocean where it breathed a big sigh of relief.  
After a moment the fish started off again through the forests of kelp, scaring the colorful plumes of the barnacles.  
It ignored them and kept swimming.  
It swam for a while with a school of angel fish before turning off. Past the jellyfish, in through the caves, deeper and deeper it swam. Finally, in the dark depths of the ocean sat the shining, amazing city of Atlantica, home of the merpeople.  
There was a grand concert that was being held inside the palace tonight and fish and merpeople from all around gathered in King Triton's massive concert hall to see the presentation of his youngest daughter.  
The trumpet fish sounded the grand fanfare and the concert was set to begin. A small seahorse with a ruffle entered the hall and cleared his throat.  
"Ahem . . . His royal highness, King Triton!"  
The crowd cheered as the mer-king entered the hall. A trio of dolphins pulled a large shell carriage and the audience cheered. His crown and trident glinted as he circled around over the people's heads. With one last lap, the dolphins brought him towards the ceiling and his trident began to glow. With a wave he sent a bolt of energy into the chandelier above creating a rain of sparks on the crowd.  
"And presenting the distinguished court composer, Horatio Thelonious Ignatius Crustaceous Sebastian!" the little seahorse announced with a flourish.  
A trumpet sounded and a small shell carriage exited the large doorway from where the king came from. The little red crab smiled and waved at the crowd before almost losing his balance as the two goldfish pulling his shell sped up and lurched. They pulled up next to the king who was smiling and waving, easily in control of his own mounts where Sebastian was not.  
"I'm really looking forward to this performance Sebastian."  
Sebastian chuckled and waved his claw.  
"Oh, Your Majesty, this will be the finest concert I have ever conducted."  
The king's carriage came to a rest in the high balcony and Sebastian turned around to continue.  
"Your daughters - they will be spectacular!" the fish lurched again causing Sebastian to flip his shell.  
Triton chuckled at the crab's efforts trying to crawl back into his shell to continued to the directors podium. "Yes, and especially my little Ariel."  
"Yes, yes, she has the most beautiful voice…" he said proceeding to the stand and muttering under his breath, "If only she'd show up for rehearsals once in a while…"  
The strings began tuning and the lights dimmed until only a single spotlight shined through the dark onto the little crab. His ride came to a stop and he straightened out his shell, nodding in acknowledgement of the crowd's applause before bending over and pulling out a score book and baton larger than he was.  
The room was silent as he trapped the orchestra to gain attention on the stand. He then raised his hands and in a massive down beat the music started. An upbeat tune started and a curtain of bubbles was pulled back to reveal a stage with three large clams set on them.  
The clams opened to show two girls in each of the shells who began singing.  
"Ah, we are the daughters of Triton. Great father who loves us and named us well."  
Triton puffed out his chest in pride over his daughters as they began their solos introducing themselves.  
"Aquata,"  
"Andrina,"  
"Arista,"  
"Atina,"  
"Adella,"  
"Allana."  
"And then there is the youngest in her musical début."  
A fourth shell rose up and the sisters surrounded it, ready to present the youngest.  
"Our seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you."  
Sebastian waved his arms grinning back at the king. It was time for the big finale.  
"To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell, She's our sister, Ar-i.."  
The shell opened and everybody let out a collective gasp. Sebastian threw his baton in shock and turned around cringing.  
Triton was now standing up, his weapon glowing as he angrily shook his head.  
"Ariel!"


	2. Chapter 2

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ariel looked over the mast of the sunken ship, fixing her eyes in wonder on a sunken ship not too far away.  
She was a strikingly beautiful girl of about sixteen. She had an hourglass figure and fair, healthy skin. From the waist down, she had a green tail with paler green, translucent fins and wore a brassiere made out of lavender seashells. She had large, deep aqua blue eyes and full red lips. Her most defining feature was her long, red hair that matched the color of her lips, which reached her waist. A small yellow and blue striped fish panted as he tried to catch up. "Ariel, wait for me!"  
"Flounder! Hurry up!" Ariel called waving for her friend to go faster.  
"You know I can't swim that fast," he whined.  
"There it is," said Ariel pointing a larger ship they hadn't explored yet. "Isn't it fantastic?"  
"Yeah, sure…it- it's great. Now let's get out of here." He turned to leave the creepy old shipyard but Ariel caught his fin.  
She dragged him back and started towards the dark wreck.  
"You're not getting cold fins now, are you?"  
Flounder scoffed and followed her. "Who, me? No way. It's just, it, err…it looks…damp in there. Yeah! And I think I may be uh…" he shivered. Up close the looming old ship was every scarier. "I think I'm coming down with something. Yeah, I've got this cough."  
Ariel was peering in through one of the broken stern windows and rolled her eyes at her friends fake coughing.  
"All right," she said looking at him. "I'm going inside. You can just stay here and watch for sharks." She easily fit her slender frame through the window.  
"O.K. yeah, you go. I'll stay and- what?! Sharks!" Flounder looked around quickly in a panic before deciding it was safe to turn his back on the outside. "Ariel!" He gasped trying to squeeze in the window "I can't…I mean- Ariel help!"  
She laughed and turned back around to help her stout friend who got stuck in the narrow porthole. "Oh Flounder."  
He grunted and with one last strong tug and he went through the window with a small pop. The two continued through the ship. Flounder looked around, practically vibrating in fear. Staying close beside his friend, he wshipered, "Do you really think there might be sharks around here?"  
"Flounder, don't be such a guppy."  
"I'm not a guppy…" he muttered following Ariel who had swum down into a lower level.  
"This is great - I mean, I really love this," he said looking around at all the old trunks and debris trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "Excitement, adventure, danger lurking around every corn-"  
Suddenly he was face to face with an old skull. "YAAAAHHHHHHHH! Ariel!" Flounder threw himself back away from the frightening object and crashed into a pillar. There was a loud crash as the old beam started to fall tearing a hole into the deck above. He jumped forwards crashing into a surprised Ariel's arms knocking her over.  
"Aw, are you ok?" she cooed holding the small trembling fish in a hug.  
"Yeah sure, no problem," he stuttered "I'm okay…" He said slowly floated out of Ariel's arms regaining control over his self.  
"Shh!" said Ariel as if she could hear his thoughts and they were distracting from this search for treasure. Looking up at the hole Flounder made when he hit the pillar, it only took a second for her to decide to skip the rest of the hull and go up to the next level.  
She peered over the edge of the hole and her eyes swept around examining the new space. It was large and open, the sides were all made of glass so you could see out into gloom of the ocean and sitting in the middle of the room on a pile of over turned boards was-  
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Ariel swam over and picked up the shining item in question. "Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?" It was a bright shining silver in the low light. A stick with three prongs on it, not unlike her father's trident.  
"Wow, cool!" said Flounder more happy that his friend had found the treasure she was searching for than anything. "But, errr, what is it?"  
Ariel shook her head with a thoughtful smile "I don't know. But I bet Scuttle will." She put the fork in her bag when something else caught her eye, failing to notice the dark shadow that swam past the windows. Flounder however, didn't and his dorsal fins stood up as he turned catching only a glimpse of the shape in the corner of his eye.  
"What was that? Did you hear something?" he swam towards the window peering out but couldn't make out much in the gloom.  
"Hmm, I wonder what this one is?" Ariel said distractedly looking at a pipe on an old broken desk.  
"Ariel…" Flounder stuttered nervously turning away from the windows trying to get his friend to notice him.  
She ignored him still trying to figure out the object in her hand. "Flounder, will you relax. Nothing is going to happen."  
Flounder felt a strange feeling and a shiver up his spine told him to turn around just as a massive shark was opening its mouth to break through the windows. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Run! Run!" he shrieked as the shark chased him around the room crashing into the floor and ceiling.  
"We're gonna die!" he screamed slamming into Ariel again. Her pretty eyes went wide with shock and fear as she quickly pushed the old desk into the sharks snapping jaws. It blocked the way out and she swam back into the room, pushing a nearby barrel into its mouth before taking a different path, up the stairs and out.  
They were half way along a hallway when the shark burst up through the floorboards catching Flounder halfway down its throat and almost catching Ariel too. They both backtracked quickly, the little fish able to swim out before the sharp trap closed.  
The shark crunched through the floorboards, making the two smaller swimmers faster. They were almost to another staircase when Ariel's bag was caught on a piece of broken wood that was sticking out. Ignoring the gnashing jaws of the shark Ariel dove back and up as the sharks jaws closed around where her back used to be. She just couldn't leave her treasures behind.  
"Oh no!" said Flounder bracing himself as he hit a porthole and once again got stuck halfway through. The shark forced its way up just as Ariel pushed the little fish out and she quickly followed. The swam away nearing an old mast as the shark smashed through the wall of the ship and chased them up around and around. As they neared the top Flounder turned back smashing into the top cross-bar of the mast sinking down with a dazed look on his face. Dropping her bag Ariel swam back, reaching through the hole of an anchor to catch her friend.  
The shark was blind with rage, gnashing its teeth as it drew closer and closer to its prey on thinking about the anchor. Ariel pulled back at the last moment and the shark slammed into the anchor hole, effectively trapping itself.  
Ariel smiled and picked up her bag that she had dropped trying to save her friend. Flounder who had regained his sense taunted the shark, no longer afraid now that it was subdued. "You big bully!" he blew a raspberry and the shark angrily lunged at the small fish sending him running back to Ariel who was headed towards Scuttle and the surface.  
Ariel just laughed, "Flounder, you really are a guppy."  
"I am not!"/pre 


	3. Chapter 3

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"On a lone rock, far out in the middle of the ocean, a lone seagull sat on an old crow's nest that was stuck in the crag. Humming an off-key sailors song he reclined back playing with an old telescope, looking through it this way and that, bouncing it on his head.  
"Scuttle!"  
The seagull's expression brightened and he flipped the telescope off his head and looking through it backwards called in an obnoxiously loud voice. "Whoa! Mermaid off the port bow!" he leaned forwards and the mermaid smiled at her foolish friend. "Ariel, how you doin' kid?" He lowered the spyglass and smiled his voice returning to the usual level when she suddenly became closer. "Whoa, what a swim!"  
"Scuttle, look what we found!" she laughed putting her bag on the rock.  
Flounder nodded and gestured wildly. "Yeah, we were in this sunken ship. It was really creepy."  
"Human stuff huh?" Scuttle pulled an anchor out of the crow's nest and dropped it not realizing it was tied to his leg dropped it down pulling him with. Shaking himself off he stepped on Flounder's head and reached into Ariel's bag.  
"Look at this! Wow, this is special," he said turning the fork around, "This is very, very unusual."  
"What? What is it?" Ariel asked eagerly.  
"It's a dinglehopper!" he said leaning forwards holding the item up in both wings. "Humans use these little babies." He bent the fork almost dropping it but managed to awkwardly catch it. "To straighten their hair out." He stuck the fork on his head a twirled it around. "See, just a little twirl here an' a yank there and voiolay!" He pulled the fork and a chunk of feathers out causing the rest to poof out violently. "You got an aesthetically pleasing configuration of hair that humans go nuts over!"  
He handed it to Ariel who stared at it reverently. "A dinglehopper!"  
"What about that one?" asked Flounder pointing to the pipe.  
"Ah! This I haven't seen in years. This is wonderful!" he said examining the pipe before holding it up for the others to see. "A banded, bulbous – snarfblat!"  
"Ooooohhh." Said Ariel and Flounder looking at each other in amazement. Even though the seagull seemed crazy, he really knew a lot about human things.  
"Now, the snarfblat dates back to prehistorical times, when humans used to sit around, and stare at each other, all day." He pressed his face up against Ariel's to emphasize his point. "Got very boring. So, they invented the snarfblat to make fine music. Allow me!" He took a deep breath and blew hard into the pipe causing some bubbles and seaweed to come out the end.  
"Music? Oh the concert!" Ariel gasped picking up her things and putting them in her bag. "Oh my gosh, my father's gonna kill me!" she said to Scuttle who was coughing and contemplating the pipe.  
"Maybe you could make a little planter out of it or somethin," Scuttle mumbled shaking the pipe.  
Flounder groaned "Oh man the concert was today?"  
"Uh I'm sorry!" Ariel said grabbing the pipe and shoving it back in her bag. "I've gotta go. Thank you Scuttle!" She waved one last time before diving below the surface to face her father's wrath.  
"Anytime sweetie, anytime."  
As she and Flounder swam they were unaware they had two rather malicious followers. The eels grinned evilly peering out from under a rocky ledge as their eyes began to glow.  
"Yeeeeeess, hurry home princess," a dark voice chuckled, watching the pair swim in a magical glowing orb. "We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration now would we?"  
Ursula, the octopus witch of the sea leaned back in her rocky perch with a scowl. She was one nasty looking creature. Obese, octopus-like, with light lavender skin and both red lips and fingernails, she was a creature that could make anyone cringe. She had white hair, gray eyes, aqua eyelids, a black mole on her right cheek, purple coral shell earrings, and black cord with a gold nautilus shell that was fastened around her meaty neck.  
"Huh! Celebration indeed. Bah! In MY day, we had fantastical feasts when I lived in the palace."  
She grabbed one of the trembling shrimp off her oyster plate and popped it in her mouth with a satisfied slurp.  
"And now look at me! Wasted away to practically nothing! Banished, and exiled, and practically starving while he and his flimsy fish-folk celebrate!" she ranted leaning over the edge of her seat her rather large girth shifting a bit. She sat up and slid down out of her shell, her large tentacles swirling around her. Pacing she angrily pounded a fist into her hand. "Well, I'll give 'em something to celebrate soon enough. Flotsam! Jetsam!" she yelled at her crystal ball surprising the two eels with her sudden outburst.  
"I want you to keep an extra close watch on this pretty little daughter of his." They smiled evilly and set off to do their masters bidding. Ursula's tentacles curled around her as she began hatching a rather terrible evil plan. Yes. "She may be the key to Triton's undoing…"/pre 


	4. Chapter 4

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Flounder rubbed his fins together as he anxiously listened to his friend's sentence just outside the throne room. "I just don't know what we're going to do with you young lady," the merking sighed.  
Ariel shifted, head down hands behind her back - she really was sorry she had missed the concert. "Daddy, I'm sorry, I just forgot, I-"  
"As a result of your careless behavior-" he interrupted waving a hand.  
Sebastian in turn interrupted the king from behind his crown. "Careless and reckless behavior!"  
"The entire celebration was, er-" Triton paused, he was angry but he still loved his daughter and didn't want to seem too harsh.  
"Well, it was ruined!" The crab fumed popping out of Triton's beard. "That's all. Completely destroyed!" He waved his claws in front of Ariel and sighed. "This concert was to be the pinnacle of my distinguished career. Now thanks to you I am the laughing-stock of the entire kingdom!"  
Flounder understood if it was her father admonishing Ariel for her behavior but the little crab was yelling at Ariel because his ego was hurt and that was just wrong. "But it wasn't her fault!" he said getting up in the crabs and subsequently the kings face. He blushed as the king glared at him and raised a questioning eyebrow.  
"Ah- well – first ah… this shark chased us, yeah, yeah! And we tried to- but we couldn't- and – grrrrrrrrrr – and we – whooaaaaa." The little fish stuttered at a loss for the right words but he quickly got caught up in his impromptu story telling. "Oh, and then we were safe. But then this seagull came and it was this is this and that is that and- oh!" He slapped his fins over his mouth realizing his mistake.  
"Seagull? What? Oh- you went up to the surface again didn't you? Didn't you!?" Triton stood up. His amused face at the fishes stuttering story quickly changed to one of anger.  
Ariel grimaced and shrugged trying to calm down her father while Flounder hid in her hair. "Nothing - happened…"  
"Oh Ariel, how many times must we go through this?" The king threw his hands up in exasperation rolling his eyes. "You could been seen by one of those barbarians! By – by one of those humans!"  
Ariel frowned at her father's choice of words towards the creatures she loved, "Daddy they're not barbarians!"  
"They're dangerous," he insisted glaring right back at his daughter. She hadn't seen the things Triton had. She hadn't seen the nets or the fishing grounds that killed hundreds of innocent fish every day. Triton was king of the sea, everything in it was his to watch and care for didn't she understand that? "Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fish-eater's hook?" he said gently tilting up her chin so maybe she might see the sad truth in his eyes.  
Ariel turned her head away at her father's gesture. He was treating her like child! She knew the dangerous of man and their hooks. She went to explore shipwrecks not fishing grounds did he think she was a fool? "I'm sixteen years old – I'm not a child anymore-" she said defiantly.  
"Don't you take that tone of voice with me young lady."  
"Well-"  
He shook his head angrily. "As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!"  
Unable to put her word in edgewise she spoke rapidly as her father paused, desperate to get him to understand. "But if you would just listen-"  
"Not another word!" he said turning away from her. "And I am never, NEVER to hear of you going to the surface again. Is that clear?"  
Ariel puffed her chest out to reply but quickly deflated as she felt her lower lip tremble as the tears welled up in her eyes. She fled choking back a small sob with Flounder following hot on her tail.  
Triton slumped back on his throne, the anger he had felt early quickly disappeared as he watched his daughter flee the throne room crying.  
"Hm! Teenagers, they think they know everything!" Sebastian said smugly trying to console the king. "You give them an inch, they swim all over you."  
Triton lifted his head off his hand and looked hesitantly over at his consort "Do you uh, think I- I was too hard on her?"  
"Definitely not," said Sebastian shaking his head with determined conviction. "Why, if Ariel was my daughter I'd show her who was boss. None of this, 'flitting to the surface' and other such nonsense. No, sir – I'd keep her under tight control."  
Triton straighten up and you could practically see the light bulb over his head. "You're absolutely right Sebastian."  
"Of course." The crab smirked crossing his arms.  
"Ariel needs constant supervision."  
He nodded in assent. "Constant."  
"Someone to watch over her – to keep her out of trouble."  
He crossed his arms behind his back "All the time-"  
"And YOU are just the crab to do it!" he said poking Sebastian in the chest and his face fell.  
He grudgingly accepted his charge and the king dismissed him. "How do I get myself into these situations? I should be writing symphonies, not tagging along after some headstrong teenager." He threw his hands up in despair and shook his head. He rounded the corner and his self-pity quickly changed into curiosity as she saw Ariel and Flounder look around suspiciously before quickly swimming off.  
"Hmm? What is that girl up to?" The little crab struggled to follow the two of them, collapsing on a rock when they finally reached their destination that was far away from the busy city. The two looked around again before Ariel pulled a large stone back revealing a small cave dug into the rock. Sebastian hopped up and scurried quickly to follow them, barely making it through the door as the rock slid back into place over his legs.  
He gasped trying to free himself as quietly as possible. Pulling on a small plant growing in the sand he managed to pull himself out from under the rock, his momentum sending him flying where he came to a stop hitting a strange object. He groaned and rubbed his head, before he gasped, pain quickly forgotten as he gazed at the cave that lay before him./pre 


	5. Chapter 5

The small fishe's voice was filled with worry for his friend "Ariel are you ok?" Ariel was lying on a rock in the center of the room and frowned turning the dinglehopper around in herhands. "If only I could make him understand. I just don't see things the way he does. I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things, could be bad." Sebastian covered his mouth to prevent himself from screaming, or maybe from fainting. No he still felt like fainting. His eyes grew wider every second he listened to the private conversation. He and well, every other fish in the sea knew about the little mermaid's fascination with humans but he didn't expect it to go to this level of obsession. He quickly reined in his shock as he peered around a harp ready to give that girl a talking to. "Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat?" Ariel asked and for a second time Sebastian stopped. The cave was small around, but it was deep, going far under the sea floor a small hole at the top opening up allowing light in. The limestone sides had been carved by the tides of the ocean into shelves, it was the perfect secret place for Ariel's collection. Glasses, pocket watches, cases full of things Sebastian didn't know the names of. It was stunning actually. "But who cares...I want more," she continued with a shrug. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, more? "I wanna be where the people are. I wanna see, wanna see em' dancin'. Walkin' around on those. Wadda ya call em? Oh. Right. Feet." Flounder laughed as she playfully tugged at his tail fin. Humph. Sebastian rolled his eyes but followed them as they swam up Ariel staring longingly at the surface. Scowling Sebastian came face to face with his reflection distorted in a vase and swam quickly backward into a strange kettle. He shook the thing trying to escape when it started to roll. Towards the edge of the shelf, no no no! Off the edge, it shattered and Sebastian flew out onto a jack in the box. Grabbing vainly for something to stop his fall his claw caught a sheet and he pulled it and all the other items stacked on in down. Flounder hid in an old knight's helmet startled at the sudden noise and Ariel gasped. "Sebastian!" The little crabs scowl somehow got deeper as he was all tangled up in Ariel's human junk. A teapot on his back, a pipe in his mouth on top of an accordion and all wrapped up in necklaces. He angrily spat out the pipe and fell off the squeaking instrument dislodging most of the things from his back. "Ariel! What are you! How could you! What is all this!" "It's uh- my collection..." she said wringing her hands nervously. "Oh. I see. Your collection." Sebastian nodded smiling at a hook that's string was caught around his leg. "If your father knew about this!" Flounder darted over getting right up in Sebastian's face "You're not gonna him tell are you?" Ariel pleaded along with him. "Aw please Sebastian he would never understand." "Ariel. You're under a lot of pressure down here," he said changing his tactic now trying to placate the headstrong teen. "Come with me," he said grabbing her hand "I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink." Ariel broke out of Sebastian's grip and stared up. "What do you suppose?" A large shadow passed over the cave blocking out the small hole of light at the top." "Ariel?" Sebastian reached for her hand again but she was already out of the cave staring up at the dark shadow. The silhouette of a boat drifted dark on the surface being lit up by colorful lights whose explosions could be heard underwater. "Ariel!" She swam quickly up brushing her bangs and water out of her eyes as they covered her face. The boat was magnificent, it's three sails made an amazing out line in front if the full moon and lights danced around on the deck and in the sky. She giggled as Flounder and Sebastian surfaced next to her. "Ariel, what are you- jumping jellyfish!" Sebastian almost fainted again failing at first to notice the reason she had come up. "Ariel! Ariel! Please come back!" He called out but the girl was already gone, swimming towards a new adventure. 


	6. Chapter 6

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ariel sawn up to the ship and pulled herself up long, stringy like things, hauling her slight body out of the water until she could see what was going on on the smooth wooden deck. Hiding in the shadows, she peered out and saw what looked like a big mop with a huge dripping, wet tongue.  
There was lights and music and sounds….and humans. A lot of them. All different shapes and sizes, just like merpeople. In fact, there was a lot about them that were very similar to the mermaids. So similar, and yet so different. So wonderful.  
Ariel was fascinated by all that was going on and she watched them with rapt attention. Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded and a nice sounding male voice stood out among the other noises of the crowd, catching Ariel's focus. "Max, here boy. Hey, come on, mutt, whatcha doin, huh Max? Good boy." Ariel looked over and saw the most beautiful creature she had ever seen in her life. He was absolutely wonderful. Tall, fair skinned, with dark hair that looked as soft as sea grass and a smile that could knock a girl right off her fins. She followed his every movement, stricken.  
"Hey there, sweetie! Quite a show, eh?" Scuttle called as he flapped over to her.  
Ariel hushed him, too interested in the male human with breathtaking crystal eyes. "Scuttle, be quiet! They'll hear you."  
"Oooh, I gotcha, I gotcha. We're being intrepidatious. WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER!" Ariel grabbed his beak as his voice rose to a ridiculous level.  
"I've never seen a human this close before. Oh - he's very handsome, isn't he?"  
Scuttle looked at Max, stunned by her choice. "I dunno, he looks kinda hairy and slobbery to me."  
Ariel smiled, slightly amused. "Not that one - the one playing the snarfblat."  
They watched for a moment as the man played with the dog, making music and dancing around. In that moment, Ariel wanted nothing more than to be there beside him. She wanted him to hold her in his arms, to dance with her, and look at her like she was the most amazing creature on the planet. She wanted to be human. She wanted to be loved by him.  
An older, lighter haired man came over, breaking her yearning thoughts. "Silence! Silence! It is now my honour and privilege to present our esteemed Prince Eric with a very special, very expensive, very large birthday present," the old man announced proudly.  
Eric. What a wonderful name! And he was a prince! My very own price...oh my, how. The need to be with him, the need to be human, was so powerful and overwhelming she had trouble breathing. "Ah, Grimsby - y'old beanpole, you shouldn't have," Eric said, delighted and gave his friend a friendly slap on the back.  
Grimsby smiled back. "I know. Happy birthday, Eric!" A large, gaudy statue of Eric was revealed, not reflecting who he was at all. Max growled and Eric made a face at the sight but was too kind to let Grims know what he really thought of the gift.  
"Gee, Grim. It's, err, it's, err - it's really somethin'. . . ." he said, trying to find at least one thing positive.  
Grimsby smiled, completely oblivious to Eric's awkward fidgeting. "Yes, I commissioned it myself. Of course, I had hoped it would be a wedding present, but . . ."  
He cut the prince a sly look.  
Eric rolled his eyes. "Come on, Grim, don't start. Look, you're not still sore because I didn't fall for the princess of Glauerhaven, are you?"  
"Oh, Eric, it isn't me alone. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl."  
Eric sighed. He had heard this lecture over and over and over and a thousand times more than that. There wasn't a day that passed by when he wasn't pressured in someway to find a bride, a queen to help him rule his kingdom. But Eric, unlike so many of the others, refused to marry a complete stranger. He did plan to marry one day, but he refused to do it just to gain status and power. Marriage should not be about vanity or currency. It should have nothing to do with politics. He wanted to marry for love. Lately, there had been a lot of beautiful women paraded before him. But...just not the right beautiful woman. "Well, she's out there somewhere. I just - I just haven't found her yet," he reassured his friend.  
Grimsby huffed. "Well, perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough."  
"Believe me, Grim, when I find her I'll know - without a doubt. It'll just - bam! - hit me - like lightning." Right on cue, lightning and thunder appeared suddenly and the sky grew dark. The prince looked up, alarmed as the sky churned in angry dark colors.  
"Hurricane a'comin'! Stand fast! Secure the riggin'!" a sailor called just as the storm hit.  
"Whoa! The wind's all of a sudden on the move here," Scuttle said to Ariel, who was still watching with a look of worry on her face as the storm increased in dangerous intensity. The bird was suddenly blown away by a massive gust of wind, leaving the mermaid to fend for herself. "Oh! Ariel . . ." The ship crashed through storm as the waves lapped across the top of the deck hungrily. The lightning flashed everywhere across the sky in brilliant shades of white, eventually hitting the ship and starting a fire. A rock loomed ahead. What had been a happy birthday pary only a few moments before, suddenly turned into a dark and dangerous night. A night, that they had very little chances of surviving.  
"Look out! . . ." Eric yelled over the howling wind as the ship crashed and all were thrown overboard except Max. "Grim, hang on!" As he was pulled into a longboat, Eric looked up and heard the sound of panicked barking. "Max!" Without wasting a moment, he went back to save him. There was no way he could leave his best friend and companion to die in the fire.  
"Jump Max! Come on boy, jump! You can do it Max," he encouraged the frightened dog until finally it budged. They were running out of time. Thinking quickly, he saved Max but was trapped on board.  
Grimsby watched the entire scene with horror. "ERIC!" The ship exploded. Ariel, who had swam a safe distance away and watched her prince fall into the dark water, swam forward, desperately waving her body through the broken wood and debris as she searched for him. he was human, and everyone knew a human could not survive underwater. He would die if she didn't do something fast, and the thought tore at her chest and left a lump in her throat. Eventually, she found Eric near drowning and pulled him away, dragging him to the surface. He was unconscious, and having no other choice, she began dragging his limp body towards the direction of the distant shore. Well, in a weird way she had gotten part of what she wished for, to be near him. Funny how things worked out. As she held his warm, strong body against her almost human one, she felt a sense of the closest thing that had ever come to completion in her life. /pre 


	7. Chapter 7

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Eric was alive; he knew it. He could feel his heart pounding like mad, and his lungs trying desperately to breathe. 'Why did I want to go on the ship for my birthday?' he thought. 'I could've stayed on land and be safe.'  
"Is he…dead?" Who's that? A woman's voice, he was sure of it. He suddenly felt his left eyelid pulled open, then closed. Then he felt his leg being lifted, and he wished that he could kick whoever it was. At that moment, his lungs chose to work correctly, and he took several grateful breaths.  
"Look! He's breathing!" He felt fingers brush a lock of hair from his face, and then he heard an awed whisper "He's so beautiful." What? He felt his face turned from where his cheek lay on the sand, and he heard that beautiful voice begin to sing.  
"What would I give To live where you are…" A hand began to stroke his cheek.  
"What would I pay To stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you Smiling at me?"  
Somehow, the sound of her voice, and the feeling of her hand caressing his cheek seemed to awaken every body part and nerve ending of his body. And for some odd reason, he longed to touch that hand. 'Come on, move!' he willed his own hand. Finally, he felt his fingers start to jerk and move.  
"Where would we walk Where would we run."  
He finally reached up and touched the hand. The sun warmed on his face, forcing him to open his eyes. He blinked twice at the angel leaning over him. She was singing…and she sounded beautiful.  
"If we could stay all day In the sun.  
Just you and me And I could be Part of your world..."  
For the rest of his life, Eric would never forget those eyes…those eyes bluer than the sea, full of intense love and longing. The sight burned itself into his memory.  
"Eric!" Was that Grimsby's voice?  
She turned, apparently startled at the sound. He felt her hand leave his face. "No, wait!" he wanted to shout, but his mouth didn't seem to be working.  
And his rescuer, the one he knew he would spend the rest of his life with disappeared…  
Sebastian and Flounder had washed up and were watching the whole scene with schock. Max and Grimsby approached just as Ariel hurried away, splashing into the sea.  
"Eric! Oh, Eric. You really delight in these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, don't you?" Grims said, tears in his eyes as he helped his boy stand.  
Eric was looking out at the sea in wonder, dazed. "A girl - rescued me. . . . She was - singing . . . she had the most - beautiful voice."  
Who was she? Where was she? Wherever she had run off to, he was going to find her. And he was going to make her his. He had finally found his queen.  
As he walked, he felt a wave of dizziness pass over him and he stumbled, falling back until Grims caught and steadied him. "Ah, Eric, I think you've swallowed a bit too much seawater. Off we go. Come on, Max," Grimsby said, amused and began to lead Eric back to the city.  
Sebastian turned on Flounder, expecting Arial to be listening as well as they watched the humans disappear. "We just gotta forget this whole thing ever happened. The sea king will never know. You won't tell him, I won't tell him. I will stay in one piece."  
Ariel was too focused on Eric to listen to her friend's words. As she watched her prince walk away, her heart beat thickly, throbbing with the intense feelings swirling around inside her that we so new and foreign...and absolutely wonderful. There was only one way she could describe the feelings.  
She loved him.  
"I don't know when and I don't know how. But I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see my prince. Some day I will be part of your world…"/pre 


	8. Chapter 8

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Three. It had been three days since Ariel had last seen Eric. Well, today was the third day that is. Ariel's bright blue eyes snapped open and she stretched out in her pink shell bed daydreaming about her prince as she had been doing for the past three days. Something's going to happen today! Something with Eric, I can feel it on the tides! Maybe I can convince Sebastian to let us swim up by his castle again to wait if he comes to the beach! Oh, then I can see him again, his face, those lips, he's so wonderful-  
"Ariel dear! Time to come out. You've been in there all morning!" called Andrinna, the purple sister.  
Much to her, and the other sister's surprise, Ariel emerged immediately from the other side of the kelp curtain. However she still wasn't paying any attention to them and was humming that song she had been singing ever since she snuck back in the morning after Daddy's big storm.  
"What is with her lately?" Atina, the orange sister mused what everyone else was thinking aloud. Ariel just continued to hum and ignore them as brushed once through her hair before picking up a flower and turning to leave.  
"Oh," she hadn't noticed the large blue merman swimming in the check on his daughters, "Morning Daddy." She twirled around him, taking one last sniff of the undersea flower before putting it behind her bemused father's ear and continuing on her way humming and twirling.  
The sisters stared after Ariel with their father who was staring at the sea flower.  
"Oh man." Said Atina, the red sister. "She's got it bad."  
The other sisters giggled and Triton looked at each of them in turn. "Got it? Got what? What has she got?" He stared after his youngest trying to figure out what he was missing.  
Andrina just sighed and they all rolled their eyes. "Isn't it obvious Daddy? Ariel is in love!" she swooned a little at the thought. Their cute little sister finally had a crush on somebody.  
"Ariel…in love?"/pre 


	9. Chapter 9

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sebastian paced nervously back and forth waving his claws about as he muttered to himself. "O.K. so far, so good. I don't think the king knows." He frowned as a few falling flower petals fell in his face interrupting his rant. "Ohhhhh but it will not be easy keeping something like this a secret so long."  
Ariel giggled dreamily, her eyes unfocused, mind obviously somewhere else as she pulled on the flowers petals. "He loves me…he loves me not." She frowned every time that possibility came up with each even petal. "He loves me! I knew it!"  
"Ariel! Stop stalking crazy." The crab swam over trying to get her attention, as if it was possible for her to be more smitten with that human.  
"I have to see him again – tonight! Scuttle knows where he lives!" Ariel perked up at her idea, it was perfect. She sat up from where she was sitting ready to swim up to the surface that instant to talk to the bird.  
Sebastian grabbed onto her fin as she tried to swim away.  
"Ariel please! Will you get your head out of the clouds and back here in the sea where it belongs!"  
"I'll swim up to his castle. Then Flounder will splash around and get his attention and then with-"  
"Down here is you home! Ariel listen to me!" He had to stop her now or else that headstrong mermaid might actually try it! It didn't help that her pesky little friend would probably be perfectly ok with this plan. "The human world, it's a mess. Life under the sea, is better than anything they have up there!" Seeing that his words were getting him nowhere normally he decided to start what he did back. He wasn't just a conductor.  
"The seaweed is always greener. In somebody else's lake. You dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake. Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor. Such wonderful things surround you. What more is you lookin' for?"  
Ariel slowly floated back down to her rock seat and Sebastian smiled as he strutted. It's working! "Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devotin', full time to floatin', under the sea. Down here all the fish is happy, as off through the waves they roll. The fish on the land ain't happy. They sad 'cause they in their bowl. But fish in the bowl is lucky. They in for a worser fate. One day when the boss get hungry, guess who's gon' be on the plate? Under the sea. Under the sea."  
Ariel began to grow slightly bored now. Flounder was returning from his 'little surprise' he had planned to where he knew Ariel would be waiting for him and was surprised to see what looked like half the fish in the kingdom singing and dancing around the small red crustacean. Weaving his way through the fray he saw Ariel sitting on the rock away from the music. He frowned at the fact that his friend was being ignored but quickly smiled again, he still had his surprise.  
"It's ready! It's back at our cave are you ready to see it?" he said in her ear to be heard over the music. Ariel nodded enthusiastically and the pair swam off quickly, not that Sebastian would have noticed anyways. It was time for the grand finale.  
"Each little snail here, know how to wail here, that's why it's hotter, under the water. Ya we in luck here, down in the muck here, under the sea!" The last word rang out but it fell on an empty space. The fish quickly dispersed seeing as the person they were speaking to was gone.  
"Ariel? Ariel?" Sebastian looked around out of breath and confused that he didn't see the red headed mermaid anywhere. "Oh…somebody's got to nail that girl's fins to the floor." He sighed dejectedly to himself.  
"Sebastian!" an out of breath voice called. Sebastian perked up as the king's royal seahorse swam up quickly and out of breath. "Sebastian, I've been looking all over for you. I've got an urgent message from the sea king."  
Sebastian would have paled if he wasn't naturally red. "The sea king?"  
The seahorse nodded and tugged at his claw. "He wants to see you right away. Something about Ariel?"  
"He knows!" Sebastian bit his claw and the seahorse swam away already focused on other messages or tasks he had to do./pre 


	10. Chapter 10

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"King Triton lounged on his throne playing with the flower Ariel had stuck in his hair that morning. "Let's see now...oh, who could the lucky merman be?" he chuckled to himself. Ariel. He was slightly saddened, this meant his little girl was growing up…and yet he was so happy! Her daughter had shown no interest whatsoever in the matters of romance up until now. He was just happy that she was happy. So much like her mother.  
He sat up feeling a presence in the room and saw Sebastian loitering in the entry. He cleared his throat and sat up straight hiding the flower behind his back trying to make himself look more like a king and less like the giddy father he was inside.  
"Come in, Sebastian."  
As Sebastian took a deep breath to steady his quaking body and nerves Triton checked to make sure the flower wasn't being crush behind him before straightening his trident and body waiting with a regal air around him for his confidant.  
Sebastian approached and his shoulders slouched a little bit. "Yes!" He cleared his throat as his voice had gone up about five octaves. "Yes, Your Majesty?" His voice came back down in its normal register if not a little hoarse.  
Triton's eyebrow raised at the little mishap with the voice but ignored it. Sebastian was assigned to watch over Ariel, he would have to know who she had fallen in love with.  
"Now Sebastian, I'm concerned about Ariel," he said slowly leaning back and fiddling with his trident, "Have you noticed she's been acting…peculiar lately?"  
Sebastian shifted nervously unnoticed by the king who voice was getting lighter and more teasing. "Peculiar?" Maybe if I just feign innocence! I don't know anything. I don't know anything.  
"You know, moaning about, daydreaming, singing to herself…" He raised an eyebrow looking at Sebastian. "You haven't noticed, hmmm?"  
"Oh, well…I-" he said sheepishly.  
"Sebastian…" he teased waving a finger at him to get him to come closer. "I know you've been keeping something from me…"  
The little crab swam up and sat on the arm of the king's throne with a nervous gulp.  
"Keping….something?" He grinned awkwardly as his eyes shifted trying to look anywhere but Triton's face.  
"About Ariel?" He wiggled an eyebrow at Sebastian causing his legs to shake and rattle with fear.  
He quickly grabbed hold of them before it was noticed. "Ariel?"  
"In love?"  
This time both the king's eyebrows went up as he pointed at Sebastian with his trident, a triumphant smirk on his face and Sebastian finally broke.  
"I tried to stop her sir!" He grabbed onto his beard and fell to his knees. "She wouldn't listen! I told her to stay away from humans, they are bad, they are trouble! They-"  
His words confused the merman but then their meaning sank in. "Humans? WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?" His trident flared to life with an angry glow as he rose from his throne glaring at his consort.  
Sebastian released his death grip on the king's beard with an apologetic shrug. "Humans?"  
He didn't know? He didn't know! Maybe I can still fix this!  
He back peddled and shrugged trying to laugh it off. "Who said anything about humans?"  
Maybe I can fix this, maybe I can fix this, maybe I can fix-  
His thought was cut off by the king's hand around his body./pre 


	11. Chapter 11

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where is she now?" the blue merman sighed leaning back on his throne exhausted by the rapid change of events still trying to absorb the frightened crustaceans rush of an explanation.  
"Ariel is not in town?" Sebastian mused aloud massaging his sore neck. "Didn't Flounder say something about a surprise in her collection…"  
The king sat up and shifted his intense stare at the crab. "What?"  
Sebastian grimaced as he realized he had given away another one of Ariel's secrets.  
"Collection? I didn't say any-"  
Triton's trident began to glow as his anger returned. Collection, of course. Humans! If this is what I think it is.  
"I'll take you there right away Sire," Sebastian squeaked.  
A dark thunder cloud hovered over the king as each passing moment in silence fueled his anger. Meanwhile Sebastian was struggling to have his legs that were still shaking with fear go faster. He was all too well aware of the fact that he was betraying Ariel's trust but with Triton's angry shadow above him his body couldn't decide if it was more afraid of the current that was growing steadily angrier or the guilt he had yet to face.  
The rock that covered the hidden caves entrance was out of place and the pair could hear Ariel's excited gasp from inside.  
Triton swam past a cowering Sebastian with an angry growl.  
"Why Eric, run away with you? This is all so – so sudden…"  
Ariel didn't know what made her turn around, maybe it was the way the hairs on the back of her neck had suddenly started prickling - in the bad way - but the moment she did she regretted it. "Daddy!"  
He father's glare pierced through the shadow that had fallen across his face and the anger, laced with betrayal pierced her heart.  
"I consider myself to be a reasonable merman. I set certain rules and I expect those rules to be obeyed." He swam closer to Ariel and tried to ignore the fact that he was surrounded by human things, things she had collected. He tried to ignore the fact that he had seen her swooning before the statue of some human man and was now backing up against it as if it would protect him.  
She bit her lip and looked away but refused to back down...Maybe, if I could just tell him about our love…  
"But Daddy!"  
"Is it true you rescued a human from drowning?" The betrayal was clear with the question.  
Love, love! It was all for love, don't you see? "Daddy I had to-"  
"Contact between the human world and the mer-world is strictly forbidden, Ariel you know that! Everyone knows that!" Rules rules! She needs to understand the rules! It's not just about how I feel, rules!  
Ariel was getting desperate as the angry growl grew in her father's voice. "He would have died-"  
He threw his hands up in exasperation as he turned away from his daughter. "One less human to worry about!"  
She frowned, her father wasn't listening and with that blatant statement against the one she loved Ariel's own temper began to rise. "You don't even know him!"  
"Know him?" he turned around eyes wide. "I don't have to know him! They're all the same!" Ariel backed up so she was hiding behind the stature now, her lips pursing together with every word. "Spineless, savage, harpooning fish-eaters, incapable of any feeling-"  
He had to understand! "Daddy I love him!" Ariel wasn't sure if she regretted those words or loved them.  
"No…Have you lost your senses completely! He's a human, you're a mermaid!" The shock at his daughter's confession faded surprisingly fast and anger quickly replaced it.  
Ariel shook her head, her words laced with venom. "I don't care!"  
"So help me Ariel, I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way...so be it."  
His face looked sinister in the glow of his trident and Ariel's eyes widened in fear.  
Later Triton would be ashamed at the satisfaction he felt blasting those cursed human things to bits. His daughter's pleading cries fell on deaf ears as the golden power from his trident struck again and again.  
Finally Ariel couldn't stand seeing her collection destroyed and she swam up from her hiding place behind the statue grabbing for the trident but it was too late. Her father took the opening and ignoring his daughter's hands pulling at his arm leveled his trident before letting loose a bolt of energy that shattered the statue with a thunderous explosion.  
Ariel fell to the floor where the statue once stood, and wept. Instantly Triton's face fell at the sight of his daughter broken like her things but he quickly turned away before the guilt made him apologize. I have to stand firm! I did what I had to. It was for her own good.  
After the cacophony of explosions and shattering glass Ariel's crying was the only thing to be heard and it seemed to make the silence that had fallen even heavier. Flounder and Sebastian, who had hidden at the beginning of the fight hesitantly came back out and approached the princess with downcast expressions.  
Sebastian made an apologetic gesture "Ariel, I…"  
Her answer was faint and barely able to be made out through her tears. "Just go away…"  
As two left, two more appeared, the twins head glancing back and forth between them and the sobbing princess in the room both thinking the same thought.  
Too easy./pre 


	12. Chapter 12

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;""Poor child." The first voice caused Ariel's crying to quiet a little.  
"Poor, sweet child." The second voice caused her to look up at the slippery shadows that passed overhead.  
Eels…  
"She has a very serious problem." The first swam by, it's one glowing yellow eye eerie and almost hypnotizing.  
The second followed close behind. "If only there were something we could do."  
They circled around her. "But there is something." They grinned at each other leaving the statement open for question.  
"Who – who are you?"  
One approached from the front. "Don't be scared."  
Another came over her shoulder. "We represent someone who can help you."  
It wrapped it's slimy body around her before coming up in front again. "Someone who could make all your dreams come true."  
Now the other went around and she shied away as it brushed her hair. They coiled around each other and said together. "Just imagine. You and your prince. Together, forever."  
Together...  
Forever...  
"I-I don't understand."  
"Ursula has great powers." The one's eye glowed and suddenly it's smile seemed more sinister.  
"The Sea Witch?" That's why they're so familiar. "Why that's!"  
Could it be?  
"I couldn't possibly!"  
Maybe?  
"No!"  
…Yes "Get out of here! Leave me alone!" she hid her head in her arms trying to calm her beating heart at the possibility. The chance. Together. Forever.  
"Suit yourself."  
"It was only a suggestion." With a swish of its tail it sent the face of the destroyed prince towards Ariel with a resounding clatter.  
She sadly picked up the face, squeezing her eyes shut at the echoes of her father's yelling.  
He's human, you can't be together!  
"Wait."  
The two quickly spun around but their shining eyes wouldn't deter her. Her heart had already decided this a long time ago. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss?"/pre 


	13. Chapter 13

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Flounder sniffed, the sound of his friend crying had died down a while ago but neither of them dared venture in or leave the cave.  
"Poor Ariel. It's your fault you know…"  
"I didn't mean to tell, it was an accident!"  
Three shadows passed overhead snapping the two of them out of their guilt and sadness.  
"Ariel?" They swam to catch up with her, Sebastian eying the two eels warily. "Where are you going? Ariel what are you doing here with this riff-raff?"  
She stuck her chin up at the tone of Sebastian's voice. "I'm going to see Ursula."  
He fell back for a moment in shock grabbing her fin as she tried to swim on. "Ariel no! No, she's a demon! She's a monster!"  
The mermaid sneered as he tried to pull her back, just like my father. "Why don't you go tell my father? Your good at that." With a flick of her tail she dislodged the guilt ridden crab and hurried after the two eels.  
"But…but I…" Flounder swam up looking at him. Like I'm actually going to go back! Hmpf! "Come on!"  
Past the Ships Graveyard, past the Canyon of Rocks, down, into the ravine filled with purple geysers that spewed noxious gas, a skeleton of a monster long forgotten sat. A pair of jaws large enough to swallow a whale gaped as if frozen in its last dying scream. Ariel stopped right in front thankful that the jaws were so large so there was plenty of room to swim between the dead, but still razor sharp, teeth.  
She bit her lip as her heart and courage flutter for a moment.  
"This way."  
She took a deep breath before following them into the jaws and down the dark tunnel of its throat. They passed quickly but once again Ariel hesitated. Rows and rows of shriveled brown polyps coated the walls of the tunnel. Moaning and groaning Ariel's face twisted into one of horror as the polyps turned to stare at her with tortured eyes. One lashed out managing to capture her arm in a surprisingly strong grip and she panicked, pulling back with all her strength she managed to free herself before any more could latch onto her.  
"Come in. Come in my child," a low husky voice called as she reached the end of the terrifying gauntlet. She peered around the corner, strands of pink seaweed hung from the ceiling and there was a large shell, chair hanging from the ceiling.  
"We mustn't lurk in doorways." A larger Cecaelia, octopus woman, with black tentacles and lavender skin floated down from the shell landing on the floor in a puff of bubbles. "It's rude."  
Ursula.  
An orange seashell necklace hovered over her rather large bust.  
Ursula strutted towards a vanity in the corner and her words brought Ariel out of her amazed stupor. "One might question your upbringing." She chuckled and sat down examining herself in the mirror.  
"Now then. You're here because you have a thing for this human. This er-" one of her long black tentacles squirted some foam from a shell onto her hands. Red nails ran through short white hair. "Prince. Not that I blame you, he's quite a catch isn't he?"  
Red lips puckered as she applied lipstick. "Well angel fish, the solution to your problem is simple." She finished the phrase with a pop of her lips.  
"The only way to get what you want, is to become a human yourself."/pre 


	14. Chapter 14

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Ariel gasped. "Can you do that?" The stories she had heard from her sisters about the Sea Witch were frightening, terrible. She made spells and evil deals with unsuspecting merfolk and at the end of every story, she gained a new soul as her slave.  
"My dear, sweet child." Ursula tried to hide her smirk at the shocked look on the mermaid's face in her mirror. "That's what I do – it's what I live for! To help unfortunate merfolk, like yourself."  
Ariel tried not to flinch as one of her painted red nails ran under her chin and one of those black tentacles brushed her fin as Ursula circled around her.  
"Poor souls, with no one else to turn to!"  
She swam up and Flotsam and Jetsam snaked around their mistress, her husky voice low and almost hypnotizing.  
"I admit that in the past I was a nasty. They weren't kidding when they called me, well a witch. But you'll find that nowdays, I've mended all my ways. Repented, seen the light and made a switch!"  
The eels circles one last time before leaving Ursula with a flourish as she floated back down towards the mesmerized mermaid.  
"True? Yes!"  
The eels returned to circling her again as she strutted over to what looked like a giant black claw growing out of the ground.  
"And I fortunately know a little magic. It's a talent that I always have possessed."  
With a wave of her arms the claw opened and pink steam rose up and whatever was inside cast an eerie glow on the witches face.  
"And here lately, please don't laugh,"  
She grinned and waggled a finger at the princess who was slowly swimming closer, curiosity overcoming her fear.  
"I use it on behalf, of the miserable, lonely and depressed. (Pathetic)." Ursula had pulled up two merpeople made of the glowing pink steam and Ariel was too enthralled to hear the last part she had whispered to her laughing servants.  
"Poor unfortunate souls! In pain, in need. This one longing to be thinner, that one wants to get the girl and do I help them?"  
A snap of her fingers and the two figures were transformed, the scrawny bow was now a handsome man and the chubby girl was now slim, both were the way they wanted to be.  
"Yes indeed!"  
The two embraced each other and Ursula continued to strut and sing around the cauldron.  
"Those poor unfortunate souls! So sad, so true. They come flocking to my cauldron crying 'Spells, Ursula please!' and do I help them? Yes I do. Now it's happened once or twice. Someone couldn't pay the price, and I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals."  
Her hand clenched into a fist and the two dissolved in a tornado, scraggly little polyps in their place.  
"Yes I've had the odd complaint, but on the whole I've been a saint. To those poor unfortunate souls!"  
She grabbed one of the fluorescent curling seaweeds off the roof and loomed over the other polyps until they all began to quake and cry in fear again. Then with a sharp turn on her tentacle she wrapped the girl in the seaweed and pulled the retreating girls form close.  
"Now, here's the deal." She began pulling Ariel over towards the cauldron, releasing the plant once her surprisingly strong hand had a hold of Ariel's arm, sharp maroon claws biting into the soft flesh. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days?" A distracted look crossed her grimacing face as she tried to brush off a stray tentacle that had wrapped itself across her shoulder and chest. "Got that? Three days."  
They had arrived at the terrible black claw which had sealed up again and leaning over it Ursula grabbed Ariel's chin with a tentacle as the girl had been unconsciously looking for a way out. "Now listen, this is important!" Three glowing yellow suns floated out between the cracks in the claws.  
"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear ol' princey to fall in love with you." A crown followed as the suns set and a heart, pulsing and beating red floated up in the center. "That is, he's got to kiss you. Not just any kiss – the kiss, of true love." The heart pulsed and it's shining red glow over powered the gold of the crown.  
True love. I love him. True love…  
"If he does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day." A girl skipping on beautiful golden legs replaced the crown and the heart. "You'll remain human, permanently, but – if he doesn't, you'll turn back into a mermaid."  
The light faded as a sad looking blue mermaid replaced the girl before she was sucked back down and Ursula's grinning face filled her vision. "And - You belong to me."  
"No Ariel!" The sound of Sebastian's voice snapped her out of her trace but he and Flounder were quickly silenced by the witch's eels and Ursula once again grabbed her chin bringing her attention back to her.  
"Have we got a deal?"  
Seeing Sebastian and Flounder reminded her of home and an interesting thought crossed her mind that caused her to furrow her brow. "If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again…"  
"That's right!" Ursula gasped with an exaggerated pensive look on her face. "Buuuut, you'll have your man." She chuckled darkly. "Life's full of tough choices innit?" she jeered lying back on the claw. "Oh! But there is one more thing, we haven't discussed the subject of payment! You can't get something for nothing you know!"  
Oh that look on her shocked little face! Hmhmhm!  
Even though this witch and her magic scared her she a touch of desperation colored her voice at the thought of the chance being taken away. "But I don't have-"  
"I'm not asking much." A thick black tentacle cut off her sentence. "Just a token really, a trifle! You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is…your voice."  
The way it came out, the way that red nail insisted on touching her chin again, it felt…sinister. Ariel gingerly touched her throat. "My voice?"  
"You've got it sweetcakes. No more talking, singing, zip." She listed off the stipulations on her fingers and ended it with a pop of her lips.  
Her hand was still on her throat as she thought more about the deal. "But without my voice, how can I-"  
"You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't underestimate the importance of, body language! Ha!"  
Come on girly, take the deal already, I know you will! Your little friends, I know they're here but we wouldn't want Daddy walking in on our little party now would we?  
"The men up there don't like a lot of blabber. They think a girl who gossips is a bore. Yes, on land it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word and after all dear, what is idle prattle for?" She crawled up the side of the cave and with a wave of her hand a clam shell on the wall flew open. Inside it was filled with shelves of strange shaped bottles and different potions and ingredients with eyes.  
"Come on they're not all that impressed with conversation. True gentlemen avoid it when they can. But they dote and swoon and fawn, on a lady who's withdrawn! It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man!"  
She began pulling things off the shelves, bottles of all different shapes and sizes floated past Ariel and the black claw opened with a creak. The bottles were pulled down disappearing into the bubbling smoking cauldron in an explosive cloud of white steam as they began to mix and churn together with the witch's magic. The last ingredient was a tongue Ursula pulled out of a small pot and the mixture turned from white to red in a fizzle of sparks.  
"Come on you poor unfortunate soul! Go ahead! Make your choice! I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day it won't cost much! Just your voice!"  
A picture of Eric hovered smiling over the pot and Ariel couldn't help but smile until Ursula's face cut through the dream. The mix smelt sickly sweet, Ursula's song kept growing louder and louder and when she pulled a passing jellyfish down, throwing it into the brew it exploded with an even louder thunder clap and torrent of blue sparks.  
"You poor unfortunate soul. It's sad, but true. If you want to cross a bridge my sweet you've got to pay the toll." Another mushroom cloud of steam then Ursula was behind her, and a glowing golden contact floated in front of her.  
I hereby grant unto Ursula the Witch of the Sea…one voice…..for all eternity. Signed,  
"Take a gulp and take a breath and go ahead and sign the scroll!"  
A golden pen made of a fishes bones appeared in front of her.  
"Flotsam, jetsam now I've got her boys. The boss is on a roll!" She swam up in an excited flurry of spinning tentacles.  
"This poor."  
A hand was extended, but her face was sneering in challenge.  
"Un-"  
"He's a human, you can't be together!" Ariel scowled.  
"Fooortunate"  
Those eyes challenged her like her father's did and her mouth was set in a thin line as her mind followed her heart.  
"Soul."  
Ariel quickly snatched up the pen, and looking away as she signed her name and sealed her fate on that glowing golden contract. Everything was spinning but Ariel felt no regret when the pen and contract were snatched out of her hands and into the witch's. She felt no remorse over her decision even as Ursula grinned wickedly and bent over the simmering cauldron already beginning to chant her spell.  
"Paluga, sarruga, come winds of the Caspian Sea!" A blue tornado of swirling magic rose up and spun, faster and faster around them. "Now rings us glossitis and max laryngitis, la voce to me!" A pair of wicked, glowing green hands now emerged from the cauldron, hooked like talons and prepared to strike.  
"Now. Sing."  
One clear note, the moment Ariel opened her mouth and started to sing Eric's song her throat started to glow and a warm tingle settled in her neck and traveled down to her tail. Green wisps flurried around her and the hands started coming towards the clear sound of her voice.  
"Keep singing!"  
As if I could stop.  
The sensation changed, the tingling had stopped only to be replaced with a burning scratchy feeling in her throat yet somehow her voice remained clear. The hands shrunk down, one tendril circled around her waist as the other paused before her mouth. The burning pain, it felt like her vocal chords were being torn out but she couldn't stop singing. Her back arched as the magic finally entered her, a slimy, smoky yet solid feeling pulling at the burning knot in her neck.  
Then it was gone, but the noise was not. The sound of her singing remained even though Ariel had snapped her mouth closed as soon as that terrible pain had had left. Clutched between two green claws was a small glowing orb.  
My voice.  
Ariel watched holding onto her still throbbing neck as the orb was drawn back to Ursula who held out her shell necklace licking her lips in anticipation. Once it was drawn into the necklace Ursula began to laugh. Ariel had a second to try and comprehend the sinister tone before she was surrounded by a glowing bubble.  
The burning in her neck was nothing in comparison to this. Her back arched painfully as her lungs and ribs rearranged themselves. If her voice hadn't been taken, it would have been lost as she screamed from the pain. Her skin itched and burned as the fine layer of almost invisible scratchy scales that was mermaid skin dissolved into her torso and was replaced with soft skin and hair.  
It felt like her spine was going to crack it was arched so far back and her tail! A burning hot knife was being drawn down the center of her larges limb cutting through bone and scales while Ursula's laughter echoed in the background. Finally her tail split, it felt like an electric shock was going through each half, now everything, all the way down to the ends of where her fin would have been was raw with new nerves. She tried to open her eyes but for the first time ever the salt burned them and everything was fuzzy, black and gold.  
Her ears and nose were suddenly filled with water instead of the witch's maniacal laughter and the pressure of being down so deep began to build and squeeze. New lungs began to burn as she struggled to swim with a new lower half.  
Up, up! Air!  
Sebastian and Flounder quickly got over their shock and moved to help Ariel to the surface. Out through a hole in the roof of the skeleton, Ariel could see the bright light of day at the surface. Every kick sent waves up pain up her new legs but the burning need for oxygen was worse.  
Up, up! Air! The surface! I'm so close!  
With one final push she rocketed up from the dark depths into the sun. A deep breath relieved the pressure in her lungs and head and she collapsed back down into the water relying on Flounder to keep her afloat. Sebastian noticed the girls eyelids droop as she struggled to keep her head above water and knew there was no time to waste. The odd pair began dragging the newly human princess to shore and despite everything that she had just gone through, Ariel couldn't have been happier./pre 


	15. Chapter 15

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"The morning seemed to go by slower than usual. The entire time sitting through meetings and contracts Eric couldn't help but feel sort of anxious, and he felt the pull of the sea stronger than ever before.  
Grim slowly trailed off in his reading the contract smiled fondly as he noticed Eric's eyes move to stare blankly out the window for the at least the eighth time this morning.  
"Eric? Are you listening?"  
Bright blue eyes snapped back as he sat up with a jerk. "Yes! Awake! I'm awake!"  
"Alight. I think it's time for you to get some much needed fresh air."  
He grinned sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks Grim that sounds great." He stood up with a stretch.  
His eyes flicked to the window again as Grimsby stood up organizing the papers into a few piles. "It's almost ten. When should we expect you back from your walk?"  
"You know me so well Grimsby. I'm going to take Max for a walk down by the shore. I'll try to be back before lunch"  
After stopping by his room to get Max (the lazy dog was still in his bed in the corner when he had come up) he headed out through the servants back exit that deposited him away from the main stretch of beach and under the bridge instead. Leaning back on his favorite rock by the base of one of the bridge legs he pulled her flute out of his waistband as Max flopped down by his feet.  
As he brought the flute up to his lips the tune that floated through his head now began floating lightly on the breeze. The waves crashed on the shore and gulls chirped and his eyes closed as he focused his fingers moved lightly across the keys. The simple tune had been easy enough for him to figure out and he let out a small sigh before playing it again.  
The sun on his face, the salty breeze in his hair, everything was still, everything was normal but Eric's heart still ached. He sighed again opening his eyes pushing herself off the rock. Max stood up quickly and began barking and jumping around at his feet as she started to walk, swinging his flute wistfully in his hand.  
"That voice. I can't get it out of my head." He knelt down next to Max, running a hand though his hair before petting the dog. "Where could she be? Think I'll ever find her?" Max's face was sad but his tail began to wag a little at his question and he barked a happy yes trying to cheer up his master. He laughed sadly, his petting turning into a playful noogie.  
"Silly dog." He stood up and continued their walk down the beach Max following a little ways behind still sensing the sadness coming off of Eric as he fiddled with his flute. The beach was actually quiet long, the servant's bridge was on the other side of the cliff that the castle was perched on and it extended on even past there. It was a good fifteen minutes of casual strolling, a ways past the castle when Max suddenly stopped. His head perked up as he took a few deep sniff's raising one shaggy eyebrow. He bounded forwards running past Eric and then back again barking wildly.  
"Max?"  
The dog was in a frenzy bouncing up and down looking back and forth between Eric and the corner ahead. That smell, that smell! He knew that smell, it was strange the first time he had smelled it on the ship. The second time however it had been mixed with his master's scent and (being the smart dog he was) he knew this was what had been causing Eric so much distress over the past few days. But here it was again!  
Max bounded off in a dead run leaving a confused Eric to chase after him.  
"Max! Max!" he called after him trying to call him back as he ran around the corner.  
Oh no, that dog! I hope he doesn't get himself all tangled up in kelp again.  
He slid around the corner, looking around as he heard his barking.  
"Max?"  
"Quiet Max!" He leaned over as he ran up to him, trying to get ahold of the still bouncing excited dog. "What's gotten into you fella?" He avoided his hands and looked back, Eric following his gaze to...  
"Oh…Oh I see." A girl, a beautiful girl sat wrapped up in some white cloth was sitting on one of the rocks on the shore. Max ran back over to her again while Eric was a little slower to follow.  
"Are you ok miss?" As Eric got closer he realized that the girl was wrapped in what looked to be an old sail and some rope.  
Oh Neptune.  
He felt his self beginning to blush so he knelt down in front of the rock and ruffled Max's fur trying to get rid of some of the butterflies in his stomach. "I'm sorry if this knucklehead scared you. He's harmless really-" The beautiful red haired girl had leaned forward, bright blue eyes and a bright smile were now waaay too close to his face.  
"You….uh, seem, very familiar…to me." He rubbed his chin and let some hope tinge his voice. "Have we met?"  
The girl's eyes noticeably brightened and she nodded her head vigorously.  
She looks like the girl. My girl. It can't be! Oh gods. Yes!  
"We have met?" He pushed Max out of the way as he jumped up in her face "I knew it!" He grabbed her hands. "You're the one – the one I've been looking for! What's your name!"  
Her name, I must know. The name of the girl I've been dreaming of for so long.  
"Ariel."  
Her lips moved but no sound came out and she grabbed her throat looking almost as confused as Eric.  
"What's wrong? What is it?"  
The hand tapped her throat and Eric finally noticed a few light pink marks marring the perfect ivory column.  
"You can't speak?" She shook her hand and a cute pout came to her face even as her eyes held an unbearable sadness.  
"Oh…" Eric missed the expression as he looked down, ashamed that he had been so enthusiastic about this stranger. "Then…you couldn't be who I thought…"  
Maybe Grimsby was right.  
A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts as the girl mad some motions towards her throat. "What is it? You're hurt? No?"  
She waved her hands no and tried again moving her hand in a wave.  
"No, alright…You need help?"  
She shook his hand again and began gesturing a bit more wildly adding her other hand throwing off her balance causing her to fall over.  
Right into Eric's arms.  
"Whoa, whoa careful, careful…easy…"  
His arms slid easily around her waist pressing the girl's thing body to his own. The girl threw her arms around Eric's neck as she struggled to stand, Eric's strong frame supporting her until she got her feet under her and stood up.  
Sea blue eyes inches away, one hand tangled in the hairs around the back of Eric's neck the other pulling lightly on the shoulder of his shirt. They were so close, Eric could just lean a little bit, close that distance and kiss her…  
"Gee…" he breathed,  
No! No I can't…I can't do that! She needs help first. But she's so beautiful…  
"You must have really been through something."  
The girl's eyes bored into his own and he felt his pulse ranging and his face started to grow warm.  
"Don't worry, I'll help you." He put her arm around her and she gripped hehisr shoulder as Eric helped her to the castle. "Come on…come on you'll be okay."  
Max barked running happily around Eric's feet. Today was going to be a good day./pre 


	16. Chapter 16

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"The fifteen minutes back to the castle was extended another five with the new girl in tow. She stumbled often and as hard as Eric tried to distance his self, he couldn't let go in fear of her falling. By the end of the journey though, she had seemed to have learned to walk a little better, but then came the stairs.  
She eyed the stairs warily and Eric tried his hardest no to blush.  
"I'll help you alright? Are you ready?" She tilted her head to one side when suddenly Eric's strong arms were around her as she was picked up bridal style. Ariel clung to his neck again as Eric chuckled.  
"I've got you, don't worry."  
The walk was more exhausting than Ariel would have liked to admit to herself and she sighed leaning her head on Eric's shoulder. She sighed happily breathing in Eric's scent, the smell of the salty wind and fresh linen and shampoo all around her.  
Eric smiled happily, and couldn't bring his self to put the adorable girl down once he reached the top of the stairs opting instead to continue carrying her inside.  
There are most stairs to go up. Is it wrong to want to kiss someone you just met? I won't. I'm carrying her. I'm helping her. But she's so cute, gorgeous-  
"Eric, glad to see you back, I'll tell Louis- who is that?" Grimsby caught Eric as he started up the stairs, to the bathroom to get her cleaned up.  
"I found this girl washed up on the beach and I-"  
Grimsby rushed over to his side. "Oh my, is she alright?"  
Eric looked down and smiled as he saw the girl's eyes had drifted shut.  
"Yes, she fine, just tired I think. I was going up to see if I could get her cleaned up-"  
"I'll have Carlotta draw her a bath then. She'll be out waiting in the bathhouse." And with a short bow, Grimsby was gone again.  
Grimsby could be quite the busy body sometimes.  
Another flight of stairs, outside, down the walkway and Eric could hear Carlotta and the water being poured into the bath. He knocked on the door with his foot and the door was opened up and he was ushered inside. The girl slowly blinked open her eyes and a huge smile spread across her face when she saw where she was.  
A large, circular, marble tub filled the center of the small building and there were windows with scallop designs on all sides. Two staircases lead up to a massive closet behind the tub, a large lamp hung from the ceiling and pedestals with flowers sat on the ledge of the tub.  
Carlotta ran to go fetch some soap and Eric set the girl down gently on the ledge of the tub.  
"I'm going to leave you in some privacy to bathe. Carlotta will be here to help you and then bring you up to a room and get you dressed for lunch. Are you going to be alright?"  
Carlotta had returned and poured the sweet smelling salts in the water making it bubble up instantly. The girl's face was surprised and fascinated as she nodded distractedly towards Eric.  
"I'll see you then," he laughed walking out of the room as Ariel hesitantly touched the bubbles.  
It's like she's just a child, new to this world. I wonder what will happen when lunch comes around.  
Ariel couldn't believe it. Bubbles, so many bubbles. She had seen them before of course, when you exhaled strongly, underwater vents, when you swished your tail really fast, but those bubbles never lasted long (except for the ones from the vents but those were too hot to touch). These bubbles though, they didn't pop. Instead they collected like sea foam on the top of the water and tasted absolutely foul (though they were still fun to play with).  
Carlotta was a nice woman, she had kindly helped Ariel get out of her mess of a makeshift dress and then helped her into the tub. She was very understanding, (certainly better than Eric at understanding her sign language) and she was sad when she found Ariel was a castoff mute.  
"Washed up from a shipwreck. Oh the poor thing."  
These bubbles, are so awesome! She scooped some up, playing with them and blowing them out of her hands not minding that they got in her hair. How did you do this?  
"We'll have you feeling better in no time." She poured a vase of warm water over her head to wash out those few stray bubbles and then made for the sheet she had been wearing.  
"I'll just – I'll just get this washed for you."  
Both Ariel (distracted by those amazing human bubbles) and Carlotta failed to see a certain crustacean peering out of the folds of the sheet that was snatched up and taken out to where the other maids were washing the days laundry./pre 


	17. Chapter 17

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sebastian ducked back into the heavy folds of Ariel's makeshift dress when Carlotta picked up the old rags. He was jostled roughly around before he felt himself be thrown and land with a wet splat in some water. He fought his way up towards the surface managing a few sputtering coughs before he was forcibly plunged back into the strange water.  
"Well you must have at least heard about this girl?"  
Ugh! CRRRRRRRRRR, thump thump splash.  
Up and down the washing board "Well Gretchen says…"  
CRRRRRRRRRRRRR, thump thump splash.  
Up and down the washing board. A sour, soapy burp.  
"…since when has Gretchen got anything right?"  
Wriiiiiiiiiiing, the water out.  
Crack! Burp!  
"I mean really, this girl shows up in rags…"  
Squeeeeze, crunch! Pop!  
"…doesn't speak"  
Fwoomph!  
Sebastian's head spun and he clamped on desperately to the terrible piece of cloth that got him into this mess in the first place. The maids, after they had (finally) finished (VIGOROUSLY) washing the mornings load of laundry, gave the clothes one last good shake before hanging them on a long clothesline for them to dry.  
". . . not my idea of a princess. If Eric's looking for a girl, I know a couple of highly available ones right here . . ."  
The gossip droned on in the back ground but as Sebastian was trying to get his wits back about him all he could see was the ground being pulled farther and farther away.  
Crabs weren't meant to fly!  
A leap, a prayer and another thump sent Sebastian tumbling over the windowsill he had intended to land on and falling onto a cool marble surface. He slowly massaged his temples trying not to burp up more bubbles when a low hissing noise caused him to open his eyes.  
Dear Neptune.  
Sebastian sat up with a gasp as his vision was filled with more monstrosities against fish than he had ever seen in his life.  
A bloody fish, laying on a cutting board, butchers knife still cleaved in its torso. Large shinning pots filled up all the space on a fiery stove, overflowing with bubbles and steam, another half a fish frying in a pan and worst of all…  
I maybe be sick.  
Crabs.  
Three to be precise.  
Dead and stuffed sat on some lettuce with tooth picks and olives stuck in their backs. Sebastian's brain answered before his stomach could and he fell backwards with a thud on the (slightly sticky *shudder*) counter top and his world faded black.  
Sebastian hadn't been out long before he woke up to the sound of some loud and (in his opinion obnoxious) humming.  
Still trying to work through the soap induced headache horror of earlier and the nauseating stench of fish, Sebastian carefully scuttled around the countertop to find the source of the music.  
Just stay focused, yes. Focused! Ignore 'de smell, ignore the sticky counter. Ignore the eep!

Go around the fish, around the dead fish, no not dead. You are not going to die in here Sebastian!  
The humming grew louder and Sebastian could make out lyrics now as he peered cautiously around the corner of a jar. "Les poisons, les poisons, how I love les poisons! Love to chop and to serve little fish!"  
A strange little man was bent over digging around in a cupboard. He pulled out a bowl of fish and with a twirl he sat the bowl on the counter with a grin. He cradled a fish gently to his face (Sebastian thought his smile turned a shade darker) before he threw it on the counter and pulled out a large butchers knife.  
Chop chop chop!  
Three head went flying with each crack like lightning on the cutting board.  
"First I cut off their heads, then I pull out the bones, ah mais oui, ca c'est toujours delish!"  
Spines, and head went flying and Sebastian tried not to be sick, oh so violently sick.  
Running away, running away! Must get out!  
"Les poisons, les poisons, hee hee hee, hah hah hah! With the cleaver I hack them in two I pull out what's inside, and I serve it up fried. God, I love little fishes, don't you?"  
Heads! A head fell in front of Sebastian blocking his escape route. A turn around the corner, hiding behind another jar Sebastian paused. A silver platter and an empty space on the counter, steeling hs nerves for the dangerous trek when several sizzling slices of fish whizzed by landing with a splat on the tray.  
Here I go Neptune help me!  
He darted forwards and dived under a stray piece of lettuce gripping it tightly over his head.  
"Here's something for tempting the palate, prepared in the classic technique. First you pound the fish flat with a mallet!"  
Thud!  
Sebastian and several other assorted ingredients on the table went flying straight up in the air.  
"Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice. Then you rub some salt in 'cause that makes it taste nice."  
Quivering under his flimsy lettuce shield Sebastian quivered with each step. His song slowed and Sebastian felt his blood run cold.  
"Zut alors, I have missed one!"  
The lettuce was torn from his claws but all Sebastian could do was pull his head farther back into his shell and try not to shake with fear.  
"Sacre bleu, what is this? How on earth could I miss, such a sweet little succulent crab?"  
He was picked up and held uncomfortably close to the chef's rather large nose. He could practically count the hairs sticking out and those two curling strands that made up his mustache. Gross.  
"Quel dommage, what a loss! Here we go in the sauce!"  
With a skip and a flick of the wrist Sebastian was flung into a bowl a cocktail sauce. The horseradish burned his nose and eyes worse than the soap water.  
"Now some flour, I think, just a dab."  
Ah Choo!  
"Now I stuff you with bread, it don't hurt,"  
OUCH!  
"Cause you're dead! And you're certainly lucky you are"  
Pleh! Sebastian spat the crumb stuffing as his stomach protested being flung around again.  
"'Cause it's gonna be hot, in my big silver pot. Toodle loo mon poisson, au revoir!"  
With a kick worthy of a line dancer the strange French chef lobbed the small very much still alive towards, yes, a big silver pot.  
Just barely managing to snag (and singe) his claw on the rim Sebastian immediately felt all the flour (and maybe even some of his red color) steam off as he popped out of the pot back onto the chopping block.  
Haha.  
The chef raised an eyebrow when he heard the small plunk that sounded like a crab being dropped on the counter.  
"What is this?"  
The prongs of a fork squeezed Sebastian's shell and he was brought slowly up…  
Now?  
…to one beady eye trying to peer into the depths of his shell.  
Now.  
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!  
His cry of pain echoed through the kitchen and Sebastian was once again air-born landing precariously on the edge of a pan simmering with gods-know-what on the stoves. Quick reflexes for the rather stout man he was, Sebastian barely managed to jump back onto the handle of the pan causing Louis to grab the scalding contents. His eyes crossed red with anger and pain as he jumped back waving his injured limb while Sebastian was thrown forwards onto the floor.  
The pan clattered forwards onto his foot,  
Thump!  
Thump!  
Thump!  
He jumped up in down in pain, while Sebastian dove for the safety of under a cabinet.  
Zing.  
Wha-?  
Thud!  
A rain of glittering cutlery framed safety.  
Up and under, up and under. Ah ha! Have a taste of your own sauce Mr. Chef!  
The bowl shattered on his head, still wielding his butcher's knife, Louis felled the offending cabinet in one strong downward strike, only to see the crab trying to escape the other way.  
Whack!  
His own terrified face stared back at him from the huge knife now embedded several inches into the stone floor.  
Back-pedal! Into…the shelves!  
His butcher's knife gone, Louis picked up the next 'weapon' closest to him; a large wooden hammer….  
All thoughts of making a mess, dinner waiting, food cooking, everything flew out of Louis's head the moment that cursed crustacean had the nerve to play dead and pinch his nose. Not even the fear of Carlotta punishing him was enough to cut through his anger and with his only thought being, "I'm going to catch that crab and filet him alive!" Louis dove into the shelf filled with the silver and wine glasses and began swinging his hammer./pre 


	18. Chapter 18

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Carlotta finally managed to coerce a hesitant Ariel out of the tub after a LOT of coaxing and in the end she only agreed to it because most of the bubbles had popped. After lots of one-sided arguing Carlotta even had to have a small bite brought up for the girl to eat in the tub because she had already missed lunch. The strange girl loved the water, swimming back and forth the length of the tub or sometimes just sinking down below the water and holding her breath for minutes at a time (that really got Carlotta's heart rate up the first time). When she finally did step out on wobbly legs, she was at first horrified at the sight of the prune lines on her hands and feet and it took quite a bit of effort on both sides to get that little misunderstanding sorted out.  
Then there was the topic of getting dressed.  
By gods. The child doesn't even know how to dress herself. It's like she's never seen underclothes before.  
A few minutes spent trying to help the girl into her pants, she kept rubbing her legs with an amazed expression on her face. Carlotta tried with the shirt. It was good until Ariel stuck her head under, which means it was bad from the very start.  
Ariel had somehow managed to pull one of the sleeves of the shirt in on itself and turned the thing around half sideways so she was trying to put her head out the other sleeve. It was getting to be quiet the mess, little bits of red hair sticking out the head hole along with an elbow, when of course, the mistress walked in.  
The door creaked as it opened and Carlotta looked over to see the Prince's very confused blue eyes. "Is everything alright in here?"  
"Eric!"  
If they could've seen Ariel's face under the shirt it would've been redder than her hair as her struggling suddenly stopped at hearing Eric's name.  
A wide grin broke out on his face. "Need some help there Carlotta?" he walked chucking. "Grimsby and I had thought you had drowned or something, you didn't make it up to lunch."  
He gently pulled the sleeve that was inside, back out again and Ariel remained still as a statue.  
Now Carlotta was blushing, and gave a small laugh. "No no, the girl just enjoyed the bath. She did scare me a few times though, holding her breath."  
"Ah I see. Well I'm glad to see you're both fine." He gently pulled the shirt around so it was lined up correctly and then worked it down over the poof of red hair.  
Oh gods oh gods oh gods.  
Ariel slowly pushed her head up when she felt Eric continue to gently tug the shirt and shinning blue eyes peered up into icy ones.  
Ice.  
"I've heard stories about it up and the merpeople up North. They wear seal skins to keep warm and they hunt with the whales…"  
Cold and sparkling clear, while Ariel's were a darker blue than the depths of the ocean, Eric felt the same feeling of déjà vu as before. The girl's lips moved, familiar with speech yet sound still refused to come out.  
I wish I could hear what you're trying to say to me…  
Eric blinked and Ariel smiled at the light blush that spread across his cheeks even as she felt her own burning on her face. She timidly ran a hand through his black hair.  
"Now just, stick your arms out the holes there on the side, see?"  
Ariel looked down to focus on the task at hand finding it easier now that her head was freed, and complied easily.  
"Now that you're dressed, would you care for a tour of the castle before dinner?"  
Ariel nodded enthusiastically and Eric held out a hand to lead the way. "Carlotta, could you please tell Grimsby we'll be down later for dinner?"  
"Of course dearie, you just go and enjoy yourself and we'll see you then. I'll have Louis cook up something special for our guest tonight."  
A parting "Thank you Carlotta" and a calloused, yet somehow still soft and strong hand pulled lightly on the pale soft smooth one and they were out the door./pre 


	19. Chapter 19

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"They followed the path back to the castle, waving to the maids who were just hanging up the last of the day's laundry. They walked up the stairs and through a large glass door. The one side of the hallway was all windows while the other side was spotted with countless doorways and pictures.  
"That way leads down to the kitchen. Down that way leads to more spare bedrooms and closets."  
The tiled marble floor was cool again Ariel's bare feet as her neck craned this way and that to see all the beauty the castle had to offer.  
"We'll be in the dining hall later this evening." Eric nodded to yet another branch off doorway. "And this is the back entrance, out those door you get to the courtyard with the gates and the stables."  
The hall opened up to an arching ceiling and a large staircase with oak banisters. Eric led the way up the stairs, his hand never leaving Ariel's, a grin on both of their faces.  
"This is the main hall. We have another ball room downstairs if we wanted to have a party but that hasn't happened for a long time…"  
Eric felt a tug on his hand to see Ariel's face staring up at him in a sad pout.  
"Why are you sad?"  
Though he couldn't hear it, he saw the question in the girl's eyes and released her hand pacing towards one of the arched windows. "My parents used to throw parties and dances all the time when I was younger, but they died in a sailing accident a while back. I could never give up the ocean but we haven't had a ball in a while."  
"My mother died in a...sailing accident too…"  
Eric saw the girl walk over to look out the window with him. He saw her lips move and when he turned to face her he saw the same sadness reflected in her eyes.  
Then her face broke into a silly grin and Eric looked on confused.  
"Dance with me! Dance, come on!"  
She nodded her head excitedly and Eric followed as she pulled him out into the middle of the floor.  
I have a painting back home, oh how do they do it…  
She frowned and bit her lip, putting her right hand on Eric's waist while staring at the other trying to remember where it went.  
"Oh! You want to dance?"  
Eric laughed at the girl when she nodded causing her bangs to flop down into her face.  
"Here alright, put your left hand on my shoulder, and I hold your right." His own arm snaked comfortably around the shorter girl's waist and their hands were once again gently joined.  
Ariel looked down at her bare feet next to Eric's polished boots on the cold tiled floor and frowned.  
"Ah, you don't know how to dance?"  
She shook her head and Eric smiled. "Just follow my lead alright?" He began to count off a slow one two three.  
One two three. One two three.  
Ariel blushed as she stumbled backwards missing a beat but Eric just nodded encouragingly. "It's ok, I've got you. Back, left, together. Forwards right together. Yeah! You've got it."  
One two three. One two three.  
"I-I'm doing it. I'm dancing!"  
"Yes, good job, there you go!"  
One two three. One two three.  
"Ok, are you ready? Spin!"  
The change in pattern barely caused a hiccup as Ariel spun out gracefully and back in again to the safety of Eric's arms.  
One two three. One two three.  
Ariel's eyes closed as she threw her head back in silent laughter into another spin. The rhythm sped up as they waltzed together around the floor.  
One two three. One two three.  
Ariel grinned mischievously and Eric raised an eyebrow before laughing as the smaller girl threw herself into another spin. Pulling herself in, heart racing, dancing into her arms, Eric caught her with a grunt.  
"You're a natural…"  
The music slowed and the two remained, no longer waltzing, just dancing slowly together. Ariel's head fit perfectly on his shoulder as Eric rest his chin on her head.  
"What would I give to be where you are? What would I pay, to lay here beside you? What would I do to see you, smiling at me?"  
Eric hummed softly, the song that had played in his dreams these past few days, now with this girl in his arms, it wasn't so eerie and lost. At that moment, everything was at peace./pre 


	20. Chapter 20

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Later that evening, in the castle dining room, Eric and Grims were waiting for the girl to arrive for dinner. Even though Eric had taking a strong liking to the pretty girl, there was still that other one...the one who had saved him. If the girl wasn't a mute, he would have believed wholeheartedly that she was the one. But she wasn't. The one with a voice like an angel was...and he had to hold onto her. He just had to.  
"Oh, Eric, be reasonable. Nice young ladies just don't - swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then - flutter off into oblivion, like some -"  
Eric interrupted him as he gazed out the window, looking out at the churning sea. "I'm tellin' you, Grim, she was REAL! I'm gonna find that girl - and I'm gonna marry her."  
Carlotta's voice suddenly drifted in from the doorway and Eric looked up curiously.  
"Ha Ha. Come on honey. Don't be shy." The girl entered then shyly. Her long, dark red hair shone with a healthy, beautiful shine and she wore a pink-and-white gown with silver barrettes on her hair and pearl white earrings.  
Grimsby smiled and elbowed the Prince slightly. "Oh, Eric, isn't she a vision?"  
Eric was struck. "You look - wonderful."  
So beautiful...  
Grimsby gestured to her as Eric pulled out a chair for her. "Come come come, you must be famished. Let me help you my dear. There we go - ah - quite comfy? Uh. It's - It's not often that we have such a lovely dinner guest, eh Eric?" The girl suddenly started combing hair with a fork. The two men looked dumbfounded and she quickly put the fork down, embarrassed. She saw a pipe and brightened. "Uh, do you like it? It is rather - fine . . ." Grims was saying when she suddenly blew its contents into his face. Eric laughed as black soot covered the old man's face. She was just something else...to damn adorable for her own good.  
"Oh, my!" Carlotta gasped, hiding a smile.  
Eric caughed, hiding his laughter. "Ahem, so sorry Grim."  
Carlotta grinned. "Why, Eric, that's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks."  
Grimsby wiped his face. "Oh, very amusing. Carlotta, my dear, what's for dinner?"  
"Oooh, you're gonna love it. Chef's been fixing his specialty, stuffed crab."  
Just then, a huge crash was heard and everyone froze, looking in the direction of the kitchen.  
Carlotta was silent for a moment before she smiled awkwardly. "I think I'd better go see what Louis is up to."  
Back in the kitchen, Louis was trashing the place.  
"Come out you little pipsqueak and fight like a man!"  
Carlotta was seething. "Louis! What are you doing?"  
"Well - I - I was just - er, er, I'm sorry, madame."  
Back in dining room, Grims was busy trying to push the idea of the mystery girl on Eric. The boy needed to leave this singing imaginary woman behind!  
"You know, Eric, perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour?"  
Eric had been staring at her, lost in thought as he watched her process the world around him. "I'm sorry, Grim, what was that?"  
"You can't spend all your time moping about, you need to get out. Do something, have a life." Grimsby lifted his plate's cover to reveal Sebastian cowering in the salad. "Get your mind off -"  
"Easy, Grim, Easy," Eric warned as Ariel lifted her own plate cover and signaled for Sebastian to hide there. Sebastian rushed across while no one was looking. "It's not a bad idea. If she's interested. Well - whaddaya say? Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"  
Ariel turned back in as Eric turned his mesmerizing ice blue eyes on her. She nodded vigorously, leaning heavily on her plate's cover, her eyes wide and adoring as she looked at him.  
"Wonderful, now let's eat, before this crab wanders off my plate."/pre 


	21. Chapter 21

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Later that night, Ariel watched Eric and Max from balcony, snug in her soft pink nightgown that the prince had given her. "Come here boy! . . . Arrr . . ." He looked up and then saw Ariel and waved. She was embarrassed and went back inside.  
Sebastian went into a lecture as soon as the happy yet exhausted princess came in.  
"This has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life. I hope you appreciate what I go through for you, young lady. Now - we got to make a plan to get that boy to kiss you. Tomorrow, when he takes you for that ride, you gotta look your best. You gotta bat your eyes - like this. You gotta pucker up your lips - like this." He saw she was asleep. "Hm. You are hopeless child. You know dat? Completely hopeless . . ."/pre  
pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"The next morning at castle, Ariel and Eric left early for their tour. She was dressed in a lovely new dress that Eric had surprised her with that morning. The dress was beautifully crafted with light blue long sleeves, a dark blue bodice, and a white shirt. She also wore a big royal blue bow in her hair and black heels that showed off her beautiful, long slender legs. Ariel was amazed by everything as Eric showed her his world. He even danced with her in the town square, with tons of spectators watching the pair with lots of smiles and cheers.  
After a long day of seeing things, meeting people, and trying new foods, they left town and Eric even let Ariel drive the carriage, almost crashing it. The entire act made Eric grin in surprise and amusement. This girl was really something special. By sunset, they ended up rowing on a still lagoon through the cool evening.  
Flounder swam a safe distance away, keeping an eye on the pair with Scuttle by his side. All day they had followed them, dying for Eric to just kiss her already.  
"Move over - move your big feathers. I can't see a thing."  
Scuttle ignored him. "Nothing is happening. . . . Only one day left, and that boy ain't puckered up once. O.K. Alright, this calls for a little vocal romantic stimulation. Stand back." He flew over and sang very badly.  
Eric looked around, smiling at Ariel in amusement. "Wow. Somebody should find that poor animal and put it out of its misery."  
Ariel winced, her head dropping into her hand./pre  
pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Eric looked into her eyes and she felt her face go hot with a flush. He rowed the boat with strong strokes and she couldn't help but notice.  
"You know I feel really bad not knowing your name." He laughed, and the sound made her heart flutter. "Maybe I could guess." Leaning back in the boat, he made her smile by trying to guess.  
"Is it a…Mildred?"  
Eww no. She made a face and he laughed again, a warm rich sound; she really loved that laugh. It was like the rippling of a gentle tide.  
"Okay, no," he said, putting up his hands, relenting. "How about…Diana…Rachel?"  
Ariel shook her head but a whisper on the wind answered him. "Ariel, her name is Ariel..."  
"Ariel?"  
Nodding her head in relief, she felt the bow on the back of her head bob. Yes, Eric, yes! That's my name!  
"Ariel," he said, excitement in his voice. He leaned forward and she took one of his hands. "Well, that's kinda pretty…"  
Her heart jumped in her chest as he put his hand over hers. It felt warm and smooth and strong...it felt right.  
Finally we're getting somewhere.  
"Ariel," he said again, this time with a tender note to it. As he looked deep into her eyes, she could see every color of the sea in his.  
Or is it every color of the heavens?  
They floated along until they found their way into a weeping willow. It's branches hung down like soft lace. Still their eyes were locked on each other and Ariel barely noticed the serenade her friends were giving them.  
Fireflies danced around as they slowly turned in circles. She felt as if she could lean forward and fall into those eyes staring at her, like they were cool pools of water. A longing was deep within her, flowing up and pressing hard on her lips as they longed to meet his. Her throat ached with the words she could not speak.  
Eric, I love you.  
Suddenly, he was leaning in as well. His eyes were large with the same kind of longing. His face came closer and closer to hers. She couldn't even breath; her rushing heart was stopping her lungs from working somehow. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips.  
Kiss me. Kiss me…  
Like a building of emotion the whole lagoon seemed to hold its breath. Heat iwass radiating from his face and she could feel him only inches away. His breath tickled her mouth and she knew he was almost there…  
The boat tipped over.  
Ariel shot up from the water, shocked and sopping wet. And disappointed...actually no dissapointed was a major understatement. "Whoa, hang on - I've gotcha," Eric said, steadying her as she wobbled around unsteadily. Their moment had passed. She would gain no kiss tonight./pre 


	22. Chapter 22

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Outside the castle that night, Eric was playing the flute and contemplating things as Grimsby approached.  
"Eric, if I may say, far better than any dream girl, is one of flesh and blood, one warm and caring, and right before your eyes…" He looked up and saw Ariel, watching her as she looked at the stars for a moment before she sighed happily then went back to her room.  
He stared after the spot where she had been, a small smile on his face. She really was beautiful...stunning really. She truly was an amazing creature, one that he connected easily with. He could easily imagine making her his...and the thing was, he absolutely would if it weren't for that one who had saved him. But, he had not seen even a ghost of the woman since that one moment. He had not heard her sweet song. Maybe Grims was right. He was wasting his time. Ariel was someone who had become very important to him, and he felt the strong urge to protect and care for her. She was special, different. He didn't have to be told to know he was falling in love with her... After a long moment, he sighed, and then tossed away his flute. It was time to let the song go.  
He turned but halted, distracted by a distant voice, singing with Ariel's voice…/pre 


	23. Chapter 23

pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Scuttle flew towards the castle in morning.  
"Ariel! Ariel, wake up! Wake up! I just heard the news. Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!"  
Sebastian looked at him like he had lost it. "What is this idiot babbling about?"  
"Right - as if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's buzzin' about the prince gettin' himself hitched this afternoon! You know, he's getting married! You silly sidewalker! I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!" Ariel brightened and ran downstairs, her heart leaping with joy and overwhelming love. Her soul was soaring as she madly ran her fingers through her red hair and raced down the corridor.  
Eric was going to marry her!  
It felt as if her heart was going to burst with joy right then! She was barely conscience of her surroundings until she nearly skidded over the stairs. The scene in front stopped her dead in her tracks. Eric was standing with another woman - a beautiful woman, with dark brown hair and a pale face - and her hand was in his.  
She was plunged right out of her euphoria so fast she felt a little light headed. She shrank behind a stone column – luckily no one had seen her – and leaned heavily for support.  
Faintly she listened to the drifting bits of the conversation.  
"Well, uh - err, Eric. I-it appears that I was mistaken. This mystery maiden of yours does - in fact exist. And - and she is lovely. Congratulations, my dear," Grims was saying, a little bemused but kind as always.  
Eric stood ramrod straight with a distant look in his eyes. To Ariel, it seemed like he wasn't all there but she just passed it off with a shake of her head. "We wish to be married as soon as possible."  
Eric NO!  
Grimsby hesitated. "Oh, yes - of course, Eric, but, er - but these things do take time, you know. . . ."  
Eric didn't take no for an answer. "This afternoon, Grimsby. The wedding ship departs at sunset."  
Grimsby gave out a tired sigh. "Oh, oh - very well, Eric - as you wish."  
Ariel covered her mouth with her hand, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. She wanted to scream out to him but no sound came from her lips. She couldn't breathe; her heart was ripping apart in her chest.  
Eric couldn't marry her! He couldn't love her!  
Scalding tears pricked her eyes as she stood there, silently falling apart. Unable to listen to another word nor stop the tears, she covered her face with her hands and blindly ran back to her room. There she flung herself onto her bed, digging her fingers into the sheets so hard that they cramped. She sobbed soundlessly into the pillows wishing that, some how; she had managed to tell him that she loved him. But now it was too late…  
It was over./pre  
pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Late that afternoon, as the wedding ship started to leave, Ariel sat on a pier, watching Eric slip farther and farther away from her, crying bitterly as Sebastian and Flounder looked on with heartbroken expressions.  
Scuttle was off flying around and humming to himself as he flapped around the ship containing the future newlyweds on it.  
"What a lovely little bride I'll make, my dear I'll look divine Things are working out according to my ultimate design. Soon I'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be mine!" the woman who was marrying Eric said to her reflection. Scuttle had heard her go by the name of Vanessa by one of the maids as he passed by.  
Seeing the real woman, Ursula, in the mirror, the bird stopped flying immediately and almost hit the ship's wall. "The sea witch! Oh no . . . She's- I gotta. . ." He ran into side of ship the hurriedly flew off to find Ariel. "Ariel! Ariel! Ariel. I was flying, I wa - of course I was flying - An' - I s- I saw that the watch - the witch was watchin' a mirror, and she was singin' with a stolen set o' pipes! Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? THE PRINCE IS MARRYING THE SEA WITCH IN DISGUISE!"  
Ariel leapt to her feet, things falling into place in an instant. Eric was in danger, and no one else had any idea but her. She had to stop him from making his vow.  
Sebastian was a little skeptical. "Are you sure about this?"  
"Have I ever been wrong? I mean when it's important!"  
"What are we gonna do!?" Ariel looked to the sea and heard Ursula's voice in her head as the sun dropped.  
". . . Before the sun sets on the third day. . . ." She still had time...but not much of it.  
Ariel jumped into the water but couldn't swim well. Sebastian quickly sent down some barrels before she drowned.  
"Ariel, grab on to that. Flounder, get her to that boat as fast as your fins can carry you!"  
Flounder nodded. "I'll try."  
"I've gotta get to the sea king. He must know about this."  
"What - What about me? What about ME?" Scuttle asked.  
Sebastian paused. "You - find a way to STALL THAT WEDDING!"  
Scuttle nodded and took off. "Stall the wedding. Wh- what am I - what - that's it!" He flew off to rally the animals and fish. "Move it, let's go, we got an emergency here!"  
On the ship, the wedding was in progress. Max growled at Vanessa as she moved down the isle, sensing something wrong with her, but she kicked him right in the face with her heeled show, silencing him as he scurried away, yelping.  
"Dearly beloved . . ." a priest began. Flounder was still pulling Ariel toward the ship. "Don't worry Ariel. ugh - we - we're gonna make it. We're almost there."  
"Yes, um, do you Eric, take Vanessa, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for as long as you both shall live?" the priest continued back onboard.  
Eric, completely under Ursula's spell, gazed forward blankly and spoke without emotion. "I do."  
"Eh, and do you . . ." Birds and animals swooped in for attack, coming out of nowhere and causing great chaos.  
Scuttle had arrived.  
" . . . then by the power inves-"  
Before the priest could finish, Vanessa was swarmed by creatures.  
"Get away from me you slimy little- Oh, why you little-" In the struggle, the shell holding Ariel's voice inside was ripped from Vanessa's neck and shattered on the deck of the ship. As Ariel climbed onboard, the light of her voice surrounded her and as she opened her mouth to sing, her voice returned to her and she let out a crystal clear melody that came from her own throat.  
Eric came out of the spell as she sang.  
Eric shook his head, dazed and confused. He looked at the beautiful girl he had come to know and love and smiled slightly, her voice making his heart leap.  
His girl had been with him all along…  
"Ariel?"  
"Eric," she said, smiling lovingly.  
"You - you can talk. You're the one," he said, taking her in his arms.  
Vanessa looked at him furiously. "Eric, get away from her!"  
Eric irnored her and pressed his forehead against the mermaid's. "It - it was you all the time."  
"Oh, Eric, I - I wanted to tell you..."  
He bent his head and his lips were just about to touch hers when suddenly, her body stiffened and a blinking pain seared through her. In a matter of seconds, she slid from Eric's arms and crumbled to the deck floor, a mermaid again.  
"You're too late! You're too late! So long, loverboy," Ursula cackled as he looked at Ariel in shock.  
"Ariel!" He shouted after her as Ursula and Ariel went overboard.  
He had lost her once...he wasn't this time.  
Ursula sneered at her as she was drug back into the depths of her home. "Poor little princess - it's not you I'm after. I've a much bigger fish to -"  
Triton suddenly appeared and Ariel breathed a sigh of relief. "Ursula, stop!"  
"Why, King Triton! Ha ha ha - How ARE you?"  
"Let her go."  
"Not a chance, Triton! She's mine now. We made a deal."  
Ariel felt her heart break as a tear slid from her eye. "Daddy, I'm sorry! I - I - I didn't mean to. I didn't know -"  
Triton attacked the contract with a fierce blast from his trident, to no avail.  
Ursula was amused. "You see? The contract's legal, binding and completely unbreakable - even for YOU. Of course, I always was a girl with an eye for a bargain. The daughter of the great sea king is a very precious commodity. But - I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better. . . ."  
Up above, Eric was hurriedly rowing away from the ship.  
Grimsby called after him, worried. "Eric! What are you doing?"  
"Grim, I lost her once. I'm not going to lose her again."  
Back under the water, Ursula and Triton were arguing still.  
"Now! Do we have a deal?" After a long moment, Triton looked at Ariel, gave in, and signed the contract. "Ha! It's done then," Ursula cried out, victorious.  
Ariel was released and Triton in an instant became withered as Ursula laughed viciously.  
"No . . . Oh, No!" Ariel cried, looking at her father's captured soul. She felt tears pring to her eyes. She had done this.  
Sebastian came over, in a state of shock. "Oh, your majesty . . ."  
"Daddy? . . ."  
Ursula picked up his crown. The sight of someone else wearing it instead of her father made her snap. "At last, it's mine. Ho, Ho . . ."  
"You - You monster!"  
She flew at the witch, hitting and tearing at the woman's hair with all her might.  
"Don't fool with me you little brat! Contract or no- AAAAHH!" She was suddenly hit with a harpoon that came out of nowhere, stopping the witch from blasting Ariel with the trident.  
Ariel gasped and looked up, her heart leaping to see it had been thrown by Eric. Her joy at seeing him quickly vanished when Ursula spotted him as well. "Why you little troll!"  
"Eric! Eric look out!"  
"After him!" She hissed at Flotsam and Jetsam flew in for the attack as Eric madly swam away.  
"Come on! . . ." Sebastian said.  
"Say goodbye to your sweetheart..." No!  
Ariel slammed into her and made her miss Eric and blast Flotsam and Jetsam instead, turning them into dust. Ursula gasped, horrified, and held out her hands to catch their falling remains. "Babies! My poor, little poopsies!"  
Anger flaring through her, she turned her gaze on the mermaid and her prince, swimming to the boat on the surface. Her eyes bloodshot and crazed, she started cackling madly. "Eric, you've got to get away from here," Ariel said to the prince as he pulled her up into his boat, holding her tightly against him.  
"No, I won't leave you."  
Ursula sprang from the water, taking them up with her now very large head. "You pitiful, insignificant, fool!"  
"Look out!" Eric cried as they jumped back into the water.  
"Now I am the ruler of all the ocean! The waves obey my every whim! The sea and all its spoils bow to my power!" She wrecked havoc, created a whirlpool and raised some shipwrecks.  
"ERIC!" Ariel screamed as he got on board one of the ships as Ariel fell to the bottom of the whirlpool. Ursula attempted to blast her there where she was trapped. All the little mermaid could do was dodge the strikes. Ursula laughed wickedly. "So much for true love!" As Ursula was just about to finish Ariel, Eric steered the broken ship straight into her. She was impaled by the sharp splinter, the wood slicing into her large body. She screamed in agony and clutched at the wood, her life slowly bleeding away before her eyes. After a few moments of screaming and struggling, she finally died most horribly. With her power gone, the waters became calm again. The whirlpool vanished and ships returned to their watery graves. In the water below, the trident fell back to Triton and everything reverted back to normal, even all those others who had been lost to Ursula long ago.  
Eric swam the long distance back to the island where he made his home and collapsed on the shore, breathing hard and worrying about Ariel. What had happened to his girl?/pre 


	24. Chapter 24

That morning, Eric was still on the beach and Ariel - who had appeared shortly after he had made it to safety - was watching him from a distance. Triton and Sebastian looked on as she gazed at him lovingly, sadly. As she watched him, she had been making silent goodbyes. She was a mermaid, he was human. There was no way for them to be together. Triton sighed as he looked between the two. "She really does love him, doesn't she, Sebastian?" Sebastian took on a prod, sophisticated air. "Well, it's like I always say, Your Majesty. Children got to be free to lead their own lives." Triton gave him a look. "You - always say that? The crab smiled sheepishly and Triton smiled back. He then looked back up at his daughter, his heart saddening, and sighed again. "Then I guess there's just one problem left." Sebastian frowned. "And what's that, Your Majesty?" "How much I'm going to miss her." With a heavy heart that was also overwhelmingly happy for his daughter, he set the triton into the water, and used his power to turn her into a human. She looked down as the area around her began to glow. At first she was surprised and then confused, then delightedly happy. She turned to look back at her father, beaming. This time, the transformation wasn't painful at all and over in no time. As Eric finally started to come out of his unconsciousness, Ariel rose up out of the water, human. She wore a beautiful sparkling, light blue dress as she came to greet her love. Eic jumped to his feet, amazed, his heart pounding. Without wasting a moment, he ran towards her, scooped her up into his arms, and spun her around, dizzy with relief that he had found his mystery girl and she was safe. After he set her down, he pulled her in, giving her the kiss he had been secretly dying to give her all along. Their wedding took place the next day. Everyone was happy - Eric and Ariel especially. Ariel said a sad goodbye to Flounder and Scuttle...words could not describe how much she loved them, how much she would miss them. She owed them so much. Without those two and sebastian, she would have never gotten her prince charming. After she finished with them, she walked to the rail of the ship and looked down at her father. Using the water, he lifted his self up until they were at eye level. Ariel and Triton hugged, a thousand words passing between them just by that simple action. Ariel smiled softly but sadly, tears in her eyes. "I love you Daddy." After they were finished, the ship sailed off as Ariel and Eric kiss, ready to start the rest of their forever wrapped in each others arms. 


End file.
